The Series Of Vesak Celebrations At Borobudur Temple Closed With The Lantern Festival

The release of the lanterns during the Vesak celebration at Borobudur Temple (doc. Antara).

JAKARTA - The 2568 BE National Vesak Celebration in 2024 will take place at the Borobudur Temple Main Marga Field, Magelang Regency, Central Java. The agenda is closed with a lantern festival that is organized by the Indonesian Mahanikayaya Buddhist Council (MBMI).

Based on Antara's report, on Thursday, May 23, 2024, WIB night, before releasing the lanterns, the Buddhists carried out a meditation session first guided by the Sangha monks. After that, the people were shown the procedures for releasing the lanterns.

The released Lanterns are made of environmentally friendly materials and will decompose all the ingredients after floating in the air. Thus, it does not cause any waste in the environment.

This is evident in the release of the Vesak lantern in 2023 where there are no insurance claims or public complaints. MBMI has carefully anticipated various things, such as preparing insurance, firefighters, ambulances, and others.

As is known, Tri Suci Waisak commemorated three important events, namely the birth of Prince Siddharta, Prince Siddharta reached Great Information and became Buddhist, and Buddha Gautama parinibbana (wafat).

The Vesak seconds fell on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 20.52 WIB. The 2024 National Vesak activity was centered at Borobudur Temple, Magelang, Central Java.

The theme of the 2024 National Vesak is 'To Live Happy As Secrets and Humans, Let Us Improve The Awareness Taught By The Buddha', with the sub-theme 'Avoid World's Love, Ignorance, Anger, and Hate'.

"The release of the Vesak lantern is an event that people have been waiting for every year. This release of the lantern has become an icon of the National Vesak at Borobudur Temple," said the Coordinator of the National Vesak Lampion 2568 BE in 2024, Fatmawati, who is also the General Chair of Indonesian Mahanikaya Buddhist Women.

Every year, people from all over Indonesia and abroad, both Buddhists who perform rituals and tourists, come to Borobudur Temple.

They take part in events or witness the release of lanterns which are symbols of lighting, inner peace, peace, happiness, and the achievement of hope, prayer, good dreams and dreams. All of this is written specifically on stickers that can be flown with their lanterns.

Fatmawati further said that this year there are two sessions of release of lanterns to accommodate the high interest of the community who want to participate.