Buddha Purnima is celebrated to mark the birthday of Lord Buddha. Also, many people believe Lord Buddha to be the ninth Avatar of Hindu God Vishnu. This is one of the most famous Buddhist festivals in India. This festival is celebrated on the Full-moon day of either April or May.

  Also, this day is believed to the day when Lord Buddha attained Nirvana or enlightenment and became Buddha. Besides, he had even passed on the same day. Moreover, people also call this day Vesak or Vesakha. People decorate the monasteries and shrines with flowers all over India. The devotees visit these Buddhist temples to pray to Lord Buddha.

The Lumbini festival is a famous Buddhist Festival in India. This festival takes place in Nagarjunasagar in the state of Andhra Pradesh every year. It is a 3-day long festival. Also, people celebrate the heritage of Buddhism these days. So, they named it after the birthplace of Lord Buddha.

  Moreover, Andhra Pradesh Tourism ministry organizes this festival to welcome the Buddhist Craftsmen and Pilgrims to the state. Thus, it helps to boost the tourism of the state. Besides, Buddhism was a major religion in Andhra Pradesh 2000 years back. So, the people of the state memorialize the 2000-year old history.

Losar Festival is one of the most popular Buddhist festivals in India. This festival marks the arrival of the Tibetan New Year. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm in several places in India. Also, the people of Ladakh consider this to be an important festival. Moreover, people from all over India visit Ladakh to relish the Buddhist culture. Also, one can see a large crown in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Many people from abroad take India-Nepal tours during this time.

  Tibetan people wear new clothes and visit their friends and families. Besides, there are special delicacies like Khapse, Guthuk, and many more items. Also, the most popular feature of this festival is the famous Cham Dance. Monks of the monasteries consider this special masked dance as a medium of meditation. So, they perform this dance with great zeal. The dance signifies the win of good over evil. This dance has great importance for the Tibetans.

This is a unique Buddhist festival celebrated in India. The festival takes place on the 15th day of the 7th month as per the lunar calendar. People consider this to be a ghost festival. This festival has an interesting story behind it. As per the story, Lord Buddha once saved his disciple’s mother from a ghost. Since that time, people have been celebrating this festival to save themselves from satanic powers or evil souls.

  Besides, the Buddhists believe that the “Gates of the Hell” opens this day. They think it is because the dead souls visit their loved ones on this day. So, they offer food to the dead souls. They think that in this way they can bring in good fortune in their lives. All in all, the festival emphasizes on prayers to the ancestors and elders in the families.

Magha Puja Day takes place on a Full-moon or Purnima Day of March in India. On this day, 1250 Buddhists came to pray to Lord Buddha. So, this day has a great significance in the lives of the Buddhists. Also, it is a Buddhist festival to cherish the Buddhist community. So, people perform several practices of the Buddhist religion.

  Besides, Lord Buddha delivered Recitation of the Patimokkhaon this day. So, people recite the same throughout the day. Also, they light lamps to practice meditation and chant Buddha mantra. Besides, they exchange gifts and visit Buddhist temples. The main objective of the festival is to keep one’s mind pure and perform good things.

This is one of the most famous Buddhist festivals in India. It takes place in the Hemis monastery in Hemis in Ladakh on the 10th day of the lunar month Tse-Chu as per the Tibetan calendar. It marks the birthday of Lord Padmasambhava. Buddhists believe that the sage had conquered evil powers. The festival is celebrated for 2 days with large processions and performances. The 2-day event takes place in the Hemis monastery itself.

  People decorate the monastery along with the town. People from all over the town visit the monastery to pray to Lord Padmasambhava. Also, Lamas perform Chaam dance to the beats of drums and cymbals. People even play longhorns.

Rumtek Monastery is a famous monastery in Sikkim. Being a major Buddhist temple, it is also known as Dhamrachakra Centre. The festival takes place 2 days before the arrival of the Tibetan New Year. Buddhists of Sikkim celebrate Rumtek Chaam to pay respect to Guru Padmasambhava or Guru Rimpoche. They believe that Guru Rimpoche introduced Buddhism in Sikkim. So, they celebrate this festival with great zeal and happiness.

  Like Hemis and Losar, Chaam dance is a distinct feature of this festival. Monks of the monasteries wear masks and perform this dance. It is to symbolize the triumph of good over evil. Also, people decorate their houses and wear new clothes. They make special delicacies at home. Besides, there is an exchange of gifts.

Asalha Puja or Dharma Day is a famous Buddhist festival in India. It takes place on the Full moon day of the 8th lunar month. Lord Buddha delivered his first teaching after attaining enlightenment on this day in a deer park in Varanasi. This first sermon that was given to five ascetics is also known as DhammacakkappavattanaSutta. So, the Buddhists celebrate this Dharma day by being spiritually close to Lord Buddha.

People spend the Dharma day by reading Lord Buddha’s teachings. Also, they chant mantras and light lamps to meditate. Besides, monks celebrate this day by starting their rains retreat. They remain confined to the monasteries and do meditation. Their retreat ends on the Pavarana Day.

Parvana marks the end of 3-months rains retreat for the monks. It takes place on the Full-moon day of the 11th lunar month of the Tibetan calendar. During the 3 months rain retreat, monks discuss the many aspects of monastic life. People give alms and food to the monks on this day.
 

Buddhists celebrate 4 days every month to keep fasting. These days are known as Uposatha. The 4 days are full moons, new moons, and quarter moons. Also, people read Buddhist scriptures and meditate on these days. As per Buddhism, Uposatha days are cleansing the mind.

Tamu Lhocchar marks the New Year of the Gurung community in Sikkim. Also, many people from other north-east places celebrate this festival. This is a grand festival for the Mahayana sect of the Buddhist religion.

Kathina is a Buddhist festival in India. It takes place at the end of the 3month rain retreats. During this festival yellow robes called Mathothingan are given to the sangha. This is a 2500years old Theravada Buddhist tradition. There is an interesting story behind this festival. Once, 30 monks visited Buddha after their 3-months rains retreat in Shravasti. Their robes were worn out. So, Lord Buddha started Kaṭhina ceremony with some ground rules.

Buddhists celebrate this festival to mark the death of Lord Buddha. As per Buddhism, no one should mourn the death of anyone. So, Buddhists celebrate this day to cherish this ideology. Besides, people go to Buddhist temples to pray for the peace of the deceased ones. Also, the main objective of this festival is to focus on the lesson taught by Lord Buddha. That is ‘everything in this life is impermanent’. Thus, it teaches one to renounce worldly affairs or things. Also, the famous Buddhist temple Parinirvana Stupa in Kushinagar attracts many devotees on this day. People read Buddhist scriptures and chant mantras on this day.