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Buddhist holidays - Uposatha days
January 13 2025 - Duruthu (phussa) uposatha
The Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka.
Duruthu uposatha is the first poya day of the year. It marks Gautama Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka in the ninth month after attaining Enlightenment. The Buddha first visited Mahiyanganaya in the Uva Province of Sri Lanka about 2,500 years ago. According to the ancient texts of Sri Lanka, the purpose of the Buddha’s visit was to bring an end to fighting between the two main tribes on the island. During his visit, the Buddha delivered sermons to the tribes. After listening to the sermons, the tribes gave up fighting with each other and started to respect each other. read more >
February 12 2025 - Navam (māgha) uposatha
This full moon has special significance for Buddhists in Sri Lanka as it marks two important events. The day of the ordination of ven. Sāriputta and ven. Mahā Moggalāna as the first two chief disciples of Gautama Buddha and the First Buddhist council after the Buddha’s death. Navam poya also commemorates the first-ever Buddhist Council, held three months after the death of the Buddha. It was here where the Vinaya (the code of fundamental ethics for Buddhist monks and nuns) was proclaimed based on the teachings that the Buddha had passed onto his disciples.
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March 13 2025 - Medin (phagguṇa) uposatha
The first Buddha’s visit to his kingdom Kapilavattu, after attaining the enlightenment. Returning after many years, the Buddha was able to preach the Dhamma to his father, King Suddhodana, who listened to his sermons and attained sotāpanna a few days before he passed away. Mahāpajāpatī Gothamī, Siddhatta Gauthama’s mother’s younger sister and his foster mother too wished to join the order of the Saṅgha on hearing the teachings delivered by him and later on ordained as the first Bhikkhunī along with hundreds of other female devotees. Princess Yasodhara also became a follower of the Dhamma teachings on hearing his teachings. read more >
April 12 2025 - Bak (citta) uposatha
The second Buddha’s visit to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan New Year.
Buddha, in the fifth year of his Supreme Enlightenment, returned to Sri Lanka on a Bak Pura Pasaloswaka Poya Day. According to the Mahāvaṃsa, an epic poem that relates the history of Sri Lanka, the Buddha visited Nāgadīpa as he wanted to put an end to the feud between two groups belonging to the Naga community and bring peace to the land.
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May 12 2025 - Vesak (vesākhā) uposatha
The celebration of Buddha’s birthday, his enlightenment and entering the parinibbāna.
It commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, which are all said to have happened on the same date. It is held around the month of May or Vesak, based on the lunar calendar. In Sri Lanka, the Vesak Festival traditionally begins with a visit to the temple. Devotees bring offerings such as flowers, candles, and incense sticks and participate in prayers and meditations. These spiritual activities are expressions of gratitude and respect towards Buddha and his teachings. read more >
June 10 2025 - Poson (jeṭṭhā) uposatha
The beginning of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Poson full-moon poya day (Poson Poya Day, Poson Festival) is celebrated the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC, a festival of great historical and religious significance celebrated island-wide by Buddhists. Poson, held on the full moon day of June, commemorates the occasion over 2,000 years ago when Arahat Mahinda, son of Emperor Asoka of India, converted King Devanampiyatissa to Buddhism. The main center of celebration is Mihintale, the ancient monastic complex where the royal missionary monk Mahinda perched the first sermon to the ruling king and at Anuradhapura the ancient capital, to which large crowd of pilgrims converge. Mass religious observances, illuminations pageants are part of the celebrations. read more >
July 10 2025 - Esala (āsāḷhā) uposatha
Day of the Dhamma, the First Discourse of the Buddha, the arrival of the sacred toothrelic in Sri Lanka. Beginning of rain retreats.
Esala Full Moon Poya is very important in the Buddhist calendar. It was on the Esala Full Moon Poya Day the Buddha arrived at the deer park of Isipathana to preach Dhamma to Ven. Aññā Kondañña, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahānāma and Assaji, the five ascetics. The Buddha delivered His first discourse Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta to them. At the end, the eldest Aññā Kondañña Thera attained the first stage of sainthood. According to Buddhist history, many significant events had taken place on the Esala Full Moon Poya Day. Among them, the conception of Prince Siddhatta in Queen Mahāmaya’s womb occurred on the Esala Full Moon Poya Day. Buddhist literature reveals that a thousand years ago Queen Mahāmaya, in one of her previous lives had the same unusual dream on an Esala Full Moon Poya Day. read more >
July 10 / October 6 2025 - Vassa (vassāna)
Vassa is a three-month period of retreat and reflection observed by Theravāda Buddhists during the rainy season. It is also known as Rains Retreat or Buddhist Lent or the duration of Vassa, monastics remain in one place, typically a monastery or temple grounds. In some monasteries, monks dedicate the Vassa to intensive meditation. Some Buddhist lay people choose to observe Vassa by adopting more ascetic practices, such as giving up meat, alcohol, or smoking.
August 8 2025 - Nikini (sāvana) uposatha
This poya marks the anniversary of the first Buddhist council (Saṅgayāna) which was held in the Sattapanni Cave in Rājagahanuwara many centuries ago was held after the Supreme Buddha’s passing away. Three months had passed since the Parinibbāna of the Buddha, and the senior disciples of the Blessed One felt a need to enforce certain principles and rules with regard to the behavior of the Mahā Saṅgha.This key to the council’s success was the Treasurer of the Dhamma, venerable Ānanda thera who became an arahat the night before the first Buddhist council. It was also on a Nikini Full that Venerable Rāhula, the son of the Buddha became an arahat. Nikini Poya is the second Poya in the Vassa season and falls during August...read more >
September 7 2025 - Bināra (poṭṭhapāda) uposatha
The day of the inauguration of the bhikkhunī Saṅgha.
On Bināra Poya, Sri Lankan Buddhists commemorate the establishment of the Bhikkhunī Sangha or Order of the Female Buddhist Monastic. The very first bhikkhunī ordained was the stepmother of Buddha, Mahāpajapatī Gotamī. Mahāpajapatī Gotamī was the younger sister of Queen Mahā Māya, the mother of Buddha. The Queen died a week after the birth of Buddha and the prince was raised by Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī who subsequently married Buddha's father King Suddodhana, becoming his stepmother. The Vassa season (Rainy-retreat) continues during the month of Bināra, so the bhikkhunīs remain in their monasteries, engaged in meditation...read more >
October 6 2025 - Vap (assayuja) uposatha - Pavāraṇā
The end of Vassa period, the day of the Abhidhamma and establishment of buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Vap Poya is significant due to the many historical events that took place on this full moon day. It was also on this full moon day, years later, that Gautama Buddha is said to have returned to Sankassa Pura from visiting the heavenly abode of Tāvatiṃsa where his mother who had passed away seven days after giving birth to him resided. Here, he had preached the Abidhamma - the deepest aspect of his philosophy - to his mother. It enabled her to attain ‘Sotapanna', the first of the four states to attaining Enlightenment. Also on Vap Poya, the future Buddha, the Maithri Buddha, as a Bodhisattva still on the path, entered the Order with 500 followers...read more >
Establishment of Buddhism in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Buddhists, also commemorate on this day important events in relation to the establishment of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. At the request of his sister-in-law Anula Devī who was keen to become a Bhikkhunī, King Devanampiyatissa entreated Indian Emperor Asoka to send his royal daughter Saṅghamittā Therī to the island. The Emperor had sent his son Arahant Mahinda earlier to introduce Buddhism to Sri Lanka. During her sojourn, Saṅghamittā Therī established the Order of the Bhikkhunī, thus enabling Anula Devī to be ordained as a Buddhist nun.
Over 2,500 years ago in the northern plains of India, Suddhodana, the Sakya King of Kapilavattupura, discovered that his young son would grow up to be a great man one day, just as the royal astrologers had predicted at his birth. As the Buddhist scriptures state, the event happened at the royal Vap Magula (Ploughing Festival) where the king was the first to furrow the land and make the soil ready to receive its first batch of paddy seeds. The King had taken his son and heir Prince Siddhattha - the future Gotama Buddha - to witness the ceremony. Whilst the king was engaged in ploughing the land, Prince Siddhattha, who was five-months old, had gone missing. In panic, the king, rose from the field and began to search for the prince. Prince Siddhattha was found in a leafy glade seated cross-legged in a lotus pose, absorbed in deep meditation; with his frame in a state of levitation. Moved by this extraordinary sight, King Suddhodana could not help but pay salutation to his son.
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November 5 2025 - Il (kattikā) uposatha
The day of passing away of venerable Sāriputta, the Buddha ordained the first sixty disciples.
Historically, an important event occurred during the lifetime of Lord Buddha, which was the passing away of one of His chief disciples, Sāriputta. Born in a village called Nālaka, in Magadha, India, Sāriputta was regarded as the most brilliant of the Buddha’s disciples, but passed away during the lifetime of the Enlightened One. Arahat Sāriputta realized that he was close to attaining Nibbāna and with the Buddha’s permission travelled with a retinue of bhikkhus to the house of his birth. This was so that he could end his journey of Saṃsāra there. While he was there he succeeded in converting his mother Rūpasari who was of the Brahmin faith to Buddhism. He entered Nibbāna on an Il Full Moon Poya day.
This Poya also celebrates the obtaining of Vivaraṇa (the assurance of becoming a Buddha) by the Bodhisatta Maitreya and the commissioning of 60 disciples by The Buddha to disperse his teachings. According to tradition, the foundation stone for the Thūparāmaya, Sri Lanka’s first stupa after the introduction of Buddhism was laid on this day many centuries ago. To mark this event, many Sri Lankan Buddhists will travel to this bell-shaped stupa in Anurādhapura to offer flowers and reflect on the Buddha’s teachings...read more >
December 4 2025 - Unduvap (māgasira) uposatha
The day of Bodhi, bringing of the Bodhi tree by Saṅghamittā therī to Srí Lanka.
Celebrates the arrival of the Bodhi tree sapling in Anurādhapura, brought by Ashoka’s daughter, Saṅghamittā. Lord Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment by meditating under a Bodhi Tree in Bihar, India. In the 3rd century BC, Saṅghamittā Therī, the daughter of Emperor Ashoka brought a sapling from this Bodhi tree to Sri Lanka, arriving on Unduvap Poya day. The sapling was planted in 288 BC by King Devanampiya Tissa, in the Mahāmevnāwa Park in Anurādhapura, Sri Lanka, where it still grows today. This makes it the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date...read more >
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