In addition to the arrival of Bhikkhus, Borobudur Temple is also set to host a lantern festival on Vesak Day.
As part of the Vesak Day celebration, which falls on the 23rd of May, the East Jakarta-based cultural and recreational area Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) held a ceremony to welcome and commence a Buddhist ritual known as Bhikku Thudong on Tuesday, the 14th of May. Bhikku Thudong refers to a tradition in which a number of Buddhist monks (known as Bhikkhus) undertake a spiritual pilgrimage on foot, following in the footsteps of The Buddha.
For this occasion, 40 monks from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia are participating in Bhikku Thudong, with the end destination being Borobudur Temple, Magelang, Central Java.
“We hope that the pilgrimage, which began at TMII and will culminate at Borobudur Temple, goes well and smoothly, and that the Bhikkhus can carry out their worship with full reverence,” said Maya Watono, InJourney’s director of marketing and tourism programme, in a written statement on Monday, the 13th of May.
Hetty Herawati, InJourney Destination Management’s director of marketing and business development, added, “We hope the Bhikkhus’ welcoming reception can further highlight the beauty of life in harmony among the diversity of Indonesians.”
Besides the arrival of the Bhikkhus, the public can also look forward to a lantern festival at Borobudur Temple. A total of 2,568 lanterns are planned to be released during the festival, which will be split into two sessions. The first session is scheduled for the 23rd of May from 7 PM until 9 PM Jakarta time. The second session will take place on the same day from 9.30 PM until 10.30 PM Jakarta time. The lanterns will be lit by a sacred, eternal flame from Mrapen.
The festival offers two different types of attendance tickets. Each regular ticket is priced at Rp300,000, while each VIP ticket is priced at Rp500,000. These tickets do not include the entrance fee to Borobudur Temple.
Perwakilan Umat Buddha Indonesia (WALUBI) has previously stated on its official website that the theme for this year’s Vesak Day is “To Live Happily as Beings and Humans, Let Us Raise the Consciousness Taught by the Buddha” with the subtheme “Avoiding Worldly Greed, Ignorance, Anger, and Hatred.”