Magelang. At the height of the Vesak celebrations, thousands of Buddhists gathered to release lanterns into the night sky at Borobudur Temple, Magelang, Central Java. This act symbolizes prayers of hope and the release of negative traits.

As Buddhists and tourists congregated for the grand celebration of Vesak, they collectively lit and released paper lanterns into the air. These lanterns, ignited by flames, floated upwards, illuminating the night of the Vesak celebration.

Fatmawati, the National Lantern Chairman, announced that 2,568 lanterns were released to commemorate the birth of Siddhartha.

"The weather tonight is drizzling, which we consider a blessing. It usually rains, but tonight we have received blessings from the gods," Fatmawati said at the lantern release site at Borobudur's main avenue on Thursday night.

She added that the collective release of lanterns was more captivating, beautiful, and mesmerizing.

Furthermore, the lantern release symbolizes prayers for blessings from the Creator for each participant.

"Similarly, good deeds, when performed individually, may go unnoticed. However, when we collectively light lanterns, the resulting goodness becomes a powerful force," she explained.

Erin, a tourist from Jambi, experienced the lantern release at Borobudur for the first time. She described the 2024 Vesak moment as a beautiful experience.

"Experiencing Vesak at Borobudur and participating in the prayers and hopes is amazing. I prayed for continuous health and success in my career," she said.

Before the lantern release, thousands of Buddhists from various congregations gathered to observe the moments of Vesak at the Borobudur Temple courtyard. The moment was marked by the striking of a bell three times.

A solemn atmosphere enveloped the Vesak moment in 2024, signified by the bell striking by a representative of The Council of Buddhist Communities (Walubi) at exactly 8:52 p.m.

In a seated anjali position, Buddhists prayed, led by a sangha monk. They appeared deeply absorbed in each segment of the ceremony.

Venerable Dammavuddho, the Deputy Chairman of the National Vesak Committee, expressed that through this ritual, Buddhists hope to eliminate greed, hatred, and ignorance.

"The message from Indonesian Buddhists is that this year, we hope to draw inspiration from Buddha to better ourselves in the future. Through good deeds and practice, we strive for perfection," Voddho stated.

He also expressed hope that this year's Vesak would help reduce and eliminate greed, avert disasters, and diminish ignorance.

"Our prayers during this Vesak focus on bringing blessings, especially for our country," he elaborated.

Following the Vesak moments, participants engaged in pradaksina, a ritual around Borobudur Temple. Together, they followed the sangha monks, circling the temple structure three times in a clockwise direction.

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