Celebrations of Buddha Jayanti are held in New Jersey

May 21 :
At the New Jersey Buddhist Vihara in Princeton, NJ, on May 19, the Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA), the Indian Consulate in New York, and the Bihar Foundation of the East Coast chapter all came together to commemorate Buddha Jayanti.

As a Buddhist festival honouring the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Gautam Buddha, Buddha Jayanti ranks high among the most significant Buddhist festivals. On this important day, a monk from Bodh Gaya named Bhante Vineeta addressed BJANA organisations around the US, shedding light on the path to enlightenment that all humanity can take by following the teachings of Buddha.

Guests included Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, the Consul General of India, Shruti Pandey, the Consul (Political, Press, Information and Culture) at the Indian Consulate General in New York, diplomats from Mongolia representing the permanent mission of the UN representative Chimguundari Navaan-Yunden and Jargal Enkhbat, residents of other countries that practise Buddhism, such as Sri Lanka and Nepal, and members of the Indian diaspora from different Indian community groups.

At the event, Consul General Pradhan greeted the Buddhist faithful with good wishes and well wishes and commended BJANA and the Bihar Foundation for bringing together the Indian community with those from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Mongolia to commemorate Buddha Jayanti. The timeless wisdom of the Buddha's teachings, he said, can lead everyone to a life of harmony and tranquilly.

Greeting and thanking everyone for attending, BJANA president Sanjeev Singh extended a warm welcome. The ceremony began with a parikrama of the Lord Buddha statue, then there was a recital of Nepali songs, a Kathak dance performance by students from Rutgers University, and a poem recitation about Yashodhara, the wife of the Buddha.

Dr. Avinash Gupta, president of the FIA, extended congratulations and gratitude to the Bihar Foundation, the Indian Consulate, and BJANA for coordinating the event and bringing the various groups together. The significance of tourism in Bihar and Buddhist tourist sites like Bodh Gaya was emphasised by Alok Kumar, head of the Bihar Foundation east coast branch, who also talked on the relevance of the teachings of the Buddha. The president of BJANA, Sanjeev Singh, extended his deepest appreciation to the executive team, volunteers, and community members for their unwavering support and for contributing to the success of this event.