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The annual celebration of Buddhist festivals and celebrations brings a time of cultural events, happiness, community, and spiritual reflection. For students, it is a great time to explore Buddhism and its rich cultural traditions. Apart from being an important part of the Buddhist culture, these festivals and celebrations hold deep religious significance. In this blog, you will read all about Buddhist festivals in India 2024-25 along with their dates and why they are celebrated by Buddhists around the world.
Table of Contents
List of Buddhist Festivals and Dates in India 2024-25
Buddhist festivals are of many types, each celebrated to commemorate a significant event. From the joyful celebrations of Mahayana New Year to commemorating ancestors on Ullambana Day, here is a list of the main Buddhist festivals celebrated in India along with their dates in 2024.
| Festival | Date | Day |
| Mahayana New Year | 14 to 16 January 2025 | Tuesday to Thursday |
| Chinese New Year | 29 January 2025 | Wednesday |
| Nirvana Day | 15 February 2025 | Saturday |
| Magha Puja Day | 12 February 2025 | Wednesday |
| Theravada New Year | 13 April 2025 | Sunday |
| Buddha Purnima | 12 May 2025 | Thursday |
| Asala (Dharma Day) | 10 July 2025 | Thursday |
| Obon | 13 to 15 August 2025 | Wednesday to Friday |
| Bodhi Day | 8 December 2024 | Sunday |
What are the Main Buddhist Festivals?
Despite the different types of festivals, the most common way of celebrating them includes visiting a monastery, meditating, offering food to monks, and distributing the necessities to people in need. In this section, you will read about the 5 main Buddhist festivals and how they are celebrated by followers around the world.
Buddha Purnima (Vesak or Wesak) – Mon, 12 May, 2025
Gautam Buddha is believed to be the ninth avatar or reincarnation of the Hindu deity Lord Vishnu. This day is celebrated on a fool moon day and celebrates the three most important events of Buddha’s life which, according to legends, fell on the same day. On this day, people visit monasteries and temples to pray and meditate. Devotees decorate their homes with flowers and lights and donate necessities to needy people.
Ullambana Day (Sangha Day) – Sat, 6 Sept, 2025
Ullambana is another important and one of the main Buddhist festivals. This festival gives devotees a chance to commemorate their ancestors. The name Ullambana is a Sanskrit word, meaning “hanging upside down and suffering”. It is believed that the Gates of Hell open on the first day of the festival. This allows spirits to visit Earth for the next fifteen days. The fifteenth day is called the Ancestors Day and involves families visiting cemeteries to pay respect to their ancestors.
Losar – Fri, 28 Feb, 2025 – Sun, 2 Mar, 2025
Losar is the Tibetan New Year. It is the first day of the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. The arrival of this festival brings cultural festivities, family gatherings, and spiritual renewal. Moreover, the common traditions of celebrating Losar include rituals, prayers, feasting, and observing traditional dances and music.
Magha Puja Day – Wed, 12 Feb, 2025
Magha Puja Day is one of the three main Buddhist festivals. Also known as Sangha Day, Magha Puja Day commemorates the occasion when one thousand Buddhist followers gathered to hear a teaching together with 250 awakened followers of his disciples Mahakasyapa, Sariputra, and Maudgalyayana. On this day, people observe grand celebrations in the form of gift exchanges, lighting of oil lamps, chanting, and meditation.
Bodhi Day – Sun, 8 Dec, 2024
Bodhi Day celebrates the day when Siddhartha Gautama, Sakyamuni Buddha, achieved enlightenment. It is celebrated every year on 8 December. According to legends, Siddhartha Gautama had to undergo years of extreme ascetic practices and meditation under a peepal tree or Bodhi tree to liberate himself from suffering.
Related Blogs
| Buddhist Education System | Sects of Buddhism: History, Origin, Branches |
| 10 Mystical Facts About Buddha | Holy Relics of Buddha |
| Buddhism Philosophy and Concepts | Chaityas And Viharas |
FAQs
Vesak or Buddha Purnima is a major festival of Buddhism. It celebrates the birth, entitlement, and death of Buddha on the first full moon day in May. The only exception is Leap Year in which the festival is celebrated in June.
Buddhists celebrate Wesak to remember the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. These three events are said to have happened on the same day of the year. Buddhists also honour the Buddha and remember his teachings. Wesak takes place during the full moon in May or June.
The three main Buddhist festivals are Buddha Purnima (the day of birth, entitlement, and death), Ullambana (souls of the dead visit their loved ones), and Losar.
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