Hundreds of lanterns on Monday night were released into the sky by Indonesian Buddhists celebrating Vesak Day at the temple of Borobudur for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the nation.
More than 1,000 Buddhists from across the archipelago gathered at the largest Buddhist temple in the world, in Magelang, to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha Siddharta Gautama.
The celebrations included prayers and meditation, collecting holy water and the release of flying lanterns symbolizing the letting go of negativity.
Photo: Reuters / Antara Foto / Aloysius Jarot Nugroho
“This is the first time we were able to hold the celebration since the pandemic started, since we are still in the middle of the pandemic, we limited the number of participants to only 1,200 people,” event spokesman Eric Fernardo told reporters on Monday.
Only those who received an invitation and a double dose of a COVID-19 vaccine were allowed to enter the sprawling complex of Borobudur to join the ceremonies.
Before the pandemic, the event was usually attended by more than 20,000 people from across the Muslim-majority nation and elsewhere.
“After two years of not being able to celebrate Vesak Day here, now we finally can, even though not exactly like before the pandemic as there still are restrictions, but I’m so happy,” said Christina, a 20-year-old Buddhist who goes by one name.
“We can still feel the enthusiasm and excitement, even though the number of attendees are limited,” the student from Jakarta added.
Despite the restrictions and stringent health protocols, monks and worshipers reverently followed the three-day procession and ceremonies, including the ritual to collect holy water from the pristine springs at Jumprit in nearby Temanggung District.
The procession and the countdown to Vesak, just before midnight on Monday, were also livestreamed for those who did not have an invitation to attend the event.
Indonesian Buddhists account for less than 1 percent of the nation’s more than 270 million people.
Built in the ninth century, Borobudur Temple was abandoned when the Hindu kingdoms of Java Island declined and a majority of Javanese began to convert to Islam.
Buried under volcanic ash and hidden in the jungle, the temple’s existence was largely forgotten until the 19th century. It has undergone a major restoration and is today a UNESCO world heritage site.
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