Dubai, UAE – The Buddhist community in the United Arab Emirates is celebrating Buddha Purnima, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha, with great enthusiasm and devotion.The Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery in Dubai, the oldest Buddhist monastery in the UAE established in 2009, has become a focal point for the country’s sizable Buddhist population, currently estimated at around half a million people. For this year’s Buddha Purnima celebrations, the monastery has organized special prayer sessions, sessions on observing the eight precepts, puja  near the Great Bodhi Tree, and is serving food to devotees.

“Buddha Purnima is one of the most sacred days for Buddhists around the world,” said Venerable Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero, the founder of the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery . “We are delighted to provide a spiritual home for Buddhists in the UAE to observe this auspicious occasion.”

The majority of Buddhists in the UAE are expatriate workers from Asian countries with large Buddhist populations such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. A significant portion of the devotees visiting the monastery hail from India.he Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery organization was founded in 1999 with the aim of sharing the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha and benefiting all sentient beings.

By Vinod Kumar (Dubai)