Vesak in Paris

Commemorating the birth, the enlightenment, and the passing away of the Buddha, Vesak day was celebrated on 15 May with the active participation of the Sri Lankan Community at the ‘Grande Pagode du Bois de Vincennes’ in Paris.After a two-year hiatus, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Vesak Celebrations were organized by Ven. Parawahera Chandrarathana Thera of the International Buddhist Center, Le Bourget, Paris, with the support of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris, according to a statement issued by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Paris.

The statement said: “The event commenced with a procession displaying Buddhist Relics, flags accompanied by traditional music and offering of flowers to Lord Buddha. Moving on with the programme, religious observances in Theravada and Mahayana were conducted. The event consisted of a sermon from Ven. Chandrarathana on Vesak Day and its objectives in today’s context, an address by Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the French Republic, highlighting the importance of Vesak Day to all the Buddhists around the world including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam Cambodia and Laos, and finally the event was concluded with a meditation programme conducted by Alain Durel on ‘the four noble truths and the eight paths’.Maha Sanga from Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, and Taiwanese temples in Paris, officials of the Embassy of Sri Lanka and devotees from the different Buddhist communities were in attendance to commemorate this important day.”