Waisak is a holy day for Buddhists and is celebrated annually in Indonesia during the full moon in either May or June at Borobudur Temple in Magelang. Also known as ‘Buddha Day’, the occasion commemorates the birth of Prince Siddhartha in Lumbini, his enlightenment, and his passing in Kusinara in 543BC.
I had been looking forward to having the chance to celebrate this special day at Borobudur for months, and it exceeded all my expectations, even the lack of a sunrise after arriving so early in the morning and a fair bit of rain in the afternoon, couldn’t dampen our spirits. It was magical to arrive in the morning before the sun rose and before hoards of people set upon Borobudur, so we had relative peace as we watched monks praying and circling the Temple and it was just the start of an an amazing day..
Watching the clouds rise around Borobudur Temple in the early morning
Buddhists pray as the sun rises
Posing at the top of the Temple
Monks begin their early morning prayers
Monks at Borobudur
Monks circle each level of the temple after praying
A monk touches the temple as he walks
Circling the second level as they pray
The prayers continue on a lower level
