Borobudur Temple will once again host the National Vesak Celebration of the Three Sacred Events in 2568 BE/2024. The peak event on Thursday (May 23) is predicted to be the world's largest Vesak celebration in 2024.
Vesak commemorates three significant events: the birth of Prince Siddhartha, his attainment of enlightenment, and his becoming Buddha, until the Buddha Gautama Parinibbana (passing away).
PT Aviasi Pariwisata Indonesia (Persero) or InJourney works with the Indonesian Buddhist Association (Walubi), the Ministry of Religious Affairs, local governments, and the general public to organize this event.
For this year's Vesak celebration, InJourney has chosen "Enlightened in Harmony" as the key message. The Vesak celebration will include several events.
Before the culmination of the celebration, there will be a release of Thudong monks at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah on May 14, 2024, involving 40 monks from various countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
The Thudong monks are expected to arrive at Borobudur Temple on May 20, 2024. The culmination of the Vesak celebration will take place on May 23, 2024, with the Vesak procession from Mendut Temple to Borobudur Temple, Vesak commemoration, pradaksina at Borobudur Temple, release of Vesak lanterns, and mindful walking meditation at Borobudur Temple open to the public on May 24-25, 2024.
This will be followed by a procession for the release of Vesak lanterns, beginning with Buddhist meditation. The release of the lanterns symbolizes the lighting of peace and the spreading of peace as well as goodwill throughout the world. All 2568 lanterns available have been sold out due to the great enthusiasm of the public.
Bhikku Dhammavudo Tera, Vice Chairman of the National Vesak Committee, said that the Vesak celebration at Borobudur Temple is always profound. The celebration feels more harmonious as it involves not only Buddhists but also people from other religions, reflecting the high level of tolerance in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Maya Watono, Director of Marketing and Tourism Programs at InJourney, hopes that Borobudur Temple can symbolize the unity of Buddhists worldwide, and as a living cultural heritage, embody the spirit of diversity and pluralism in Indonesia.
