Sangha Day

The Sangha Day is also known as the Magha Puja Day and is the second most important event of the Buddhist calendar. The Sangha Day is celebrated to commemorate the unplanned gathering of around 1250 monks on a full moon night in Veluvana Vihara. Here the Buddha delivered a sermon in which he outlined a code of conduct for the monks.

Although widely believed that Sangha Day is mostly meant for monks and nuns, the Buddhist people all over the world celebrate it to reaffirm their obligations towards Buddhist beliefs and practices. The festival is given more importance in the west than in the east. It is celebrated on the full moon in November. The festivities include exchanging of gifts, lighting oil lamps, chanting, and meditations. Religious discussions and talks from senior citizens are also a feature of this festival. All of these are ways to reconfirm their Buddhist faith which is the essence of the festival.