Asadha Poornima: President Kovind inaugurates celebrations organised by IBC

President of India Ramnath Kovind on Saturday, July 4, inaugurated the Asadha Poornima celebrations from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, organised by International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). The celebrations were organised in partnership with the Union Ministry of Culture.

Dharma Chakra Day commemorates Lord Buddha's first sermon to his first five ascetic disciples at the Deer Park in Rsipatana in the present-day Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The day is also celebrated by Buddhists all over the world as the day of Dharma Chakra Parvattana or "Turning of the Wheel of Dharma". This day is also observed as Guru Poornima by both Buddhists and Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their Gurus.

International Buddhist Confederation is the biggest religious Buddhist confederation. Based in Delhi, the Confederation is named as the first organisation which unites Buddhists from the whole world.

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the programme is being conducted virtually and around 30 lakh devotees across the world are expected to watch the event which was broadcasted live on the internet.

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'Means to a sustainable planet'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Asadha Celebrations delivered a video address to emphasize the teachings of Lord Buddha and the Eight-Fold Path shown by him. PM Modi in his video address said the day is celebrated in India as Guru Poornima.

"This is a day to remember our gurus who gave us knowledge. In that spirit we pay homage to Lord Buddha," PM Modi said.  

"The Eight-Fold path of Lord Buddha shows the way towards the wellbeing of many societies and nations. It highlights the importance of compassion and kindness. The teachings of Lord Buddha celebrates simplicity, both in thought and action," PM Modi added.

"Buddhism teaches respect for people, poor, women, respect for peace and non-violence. Therefore, the teachings of Buddhism are a means to a sustainable planet," PM Modi said while paying tribute to Buddhism founder.

Watch PM Modi's video address:

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