Indians celebrate Buddha Purnima across country
Allahabad/ Bodh Gaya, May 04 (ANI): Devotees across India celebrated the festival of Buddha Purnima on Monday (May 04). Buddha Purnima, which falls on a full moon day, marks the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. It is also commemorated as the day of his enlightenment and death. Thousands of devotees took a holy dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna, in Allahabad to mark the auspicious occasion. According to Hindu belief a dip taken in the Sangam on Buddha Purnima grants moksha or salvation, which breaks the cycle of rebirth. Meanwhile, Buddhists from India, Thailand, Brahma and Cambodia, Taiwan celebrated the day with zest in the town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar. Chief Minister of Bihar state, Nitish Kumar, along with Buddhist monks offered special prayers for the victims of quake-hit Nepal. According to Hindu belief, the Buddha is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and is revered across India.