Buddha Jayanti (Buddha Purnima)
गौतमबुद्ध जयन्ती / स्वाँया पून्हिः
May 1, 2026 · Baishakh 18, 2083 BS
Nationwide (Lumbini, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath)
Plan a trip around Buddha Jayanti (Buddha Purnima)History & origin
Marks the birth of Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini around the 6th century BCE. Traditionally the same date is also held to mark his enlightenment and his death (parinirvana), making it the single most significant day in the Buddhist calendar.
How it’s celebrated
Monks lead chanting and prayers at monasteries and stupas from early morning. Devotees walk clockwise around Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, spinning prayer wheels and lighting butter lamps that are kept burning into the evening, while processions carrying a statue of the infant Buddha move through Kathmandu. Lumbini itself hosts larger ceremonies drawing pilgrims from across the Buddhist world.
Tips for visitors
Swayambhunath and Boudhanath stupas are especially atmospheric on this day, with monks, pilgrims and lit butter lamps circling the stupas well into the evening.
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