Buddha Purnima, also known as Buddha Day, Vesak and Buddha Jayanti, is a very popular festival in India and is much more than just a gazetted holiday. The day marks the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha and is celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists both in the entire world.

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It is to be noted that the festival holds special importance in Nepal and India both as Lord Buddha was born in the Lumbini region of Nepal and he attained salvation in Kushinagar of India.The day is primarily celebrated in these two countries but other than them, it is observed in Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Korea, Australia, Canada, USA and Philippines also.

Also known as Buddha Jayanti and Vesak, the festival falls on the day of the full moon between April and May and celebrated across the globe. This year, the festival is falling on May 18 and while for schools, it is a gazetted holiday, businesses and offices mostly stay open. In India, Lord Buddha is considered as the eighth reincarnation of Lord Vishnu and hence the day is celebrated with great zeal and much fervour. Another reason for the celebration is that it is believed that on this day only, Lord Buddha attained Nirvana or salvation.

On Vesak or Buddha Purnima, people dress in white clothes and distribute kheer as, according to the legend, a woman named Sujata once offered Gautam Buddha kheer on this day only and since then it has become a tradition.

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