Religious Ceremony: Ceremony of pouring water on banyan trees

The 14th Maha Mingala ceremony of pouring water on banyan trees in the month of Kason was also held at the Maha Bodhi banyan trees in the precinct of Uppatasanti Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday.

At the Ceremony, Chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC) Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, SAC members and wives poured water at respective Maha Bodhi banyan trees and sprinkled scented water on these trees.

Also, the Senior General and officials watered Bodhi banyan trees at Lawka Chantha Sutaungpyae Athin Pagoda in Zeyathiri Township.

As all significant days when Lord Dipankara Buddha gave a word of preordainment of the event to Sumida hermit, saying that the hermit would be the Lord Buddha in Bhadda World when Buddha-to-be Prince Siddhartha was born, when Prince Siddhartha attained the Enlightenment and the Lord Buddha and Buddha attained the Parinibbana fall on the full moon day of Kason.

Myanmar people recorded the day on which the Buddha-to-be was prophesied as a future Buddha, born, and attained enlightenment, the Buddha attained Parinibbana. So, Myanmar Buddhists identified the full moon day of Kason as Buddha’s Day.

The significant fact of the Kason full moon day is that not only Gautama Buddha but also Subbhanyu Buddha was born, and attained the Enlightenment and Parinibbana on that day.

The Kason water-pouring festival is a peaceful religious festival featuring the cultural heritage of Myanmar. The people sprinkle the scented water on the banyan trees and clean up the Maha Bodhi altar one day before the Kason full moon day.