Lumbini festival
The third largest state in India - Andhra
Pradesh can be visualised as a beautiful state interspersed
with its exotic crafts and lively religious festivals;
a glorious past and mouth watering delicacies; not to
forget the charming people and the mother tongue Telugu-
all that make lasting impressions of the state on the
visitor.
Andhra Pradesh, State rich in natural resources, cultural
heritage, charming countryside, watered by 34 rivers
Andhra Pradesh commands a 1000 km. coastline and enjoys
a strategic location too. Most of it stands on the high
arid Deccan Plateau, sloping down to the low-lying coastal
region to the east where the Godavari and Krishna meet
the Bay of Bengal and is known as the 'Rice Granary
of India'.
Lumbini, the birth place of Lord
Buddha, is situated about 22 km. from Bhairahawa (Siddharthanagar),
below the Churia range, 24 km. south from the foothills
of the Himalayas, on the western bank of Telar river
in Rupandehi district of Lumbini zone in Nepal. It is
about 300 km. west of capital city Kathmandu.
This festival is organized to celebrate the Buddhist
Heritage of Andra Pradesh. The festival is celebrated
in Nagarjunasagar and Hyderabad for three days from
2nd Friday of December every year.
The fairs and festivals are an integral part of the
Buddhist as well as Hindu civilization. These are the
main attraction of the life style of the people and
preserve the social customs, the religious, beliefs,
art-tradition and economic condition of the contemporary
society. Since ancient time, festivals have been celebrated
not only for socio-economic and religious concept, but
also as a source of entertainment. So ever in religious
work people feel the entertainment by praying, singing,
dancing and meeting with the people and feasting was
the sources of religious activities. Due to the mixed
settlement of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim people in the
periphery of Lumbini, they celebrate Buddha Jayanti,
Varsavass, Dashain, Deepawali, Chhata, Maghi, Sivaratri,
Basanta Panchami, Holi purnima, Ramanavami, Parikarama,
Chaitra sukla purnima etc. fair and festivals on proper
occasions. They are of national, regional and local
significance. Vihar, Stupa, monasteries and temples
of have been associated with the Hinayan, Mahayan and
Vajrayan sects in Lumbini Master Plan Area. Thus, a
systematic table of the festivals of proper sects is
given below to understand their significance.
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