Thousands of Buddhists thronged the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple in Jalan Berhala, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur to seek blessings and offer prayers on Wesak Day, Friday 28th May 2010.
Wesak Day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha.
Among the activities held during the celebration were religious services, meditation, blood and organ donation drives, free vegetarian food lunch, exhibitions and colourful float procession.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor arrived at 9.30 am at the century-old Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple to join in the Wesak Day celebration.
Najib and Rosmah were accorded a grand red carpet welcome by a multi-ethnic cultural troupes comprising Malay kompang, Chinese lion dance, Nepalese drums and Sri Lankan traditional dances.
The Prime Minister’s visit helped promote goodwill, religious and cultural understanding, tolerance and respect for one another’s religion.
Note:
The Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple was founded by the Singhalese community in the late 1890s as a place of worship for their Sri Lankan Theravada faith and contains many services including observing the full moon and one of the oldest Buddhist bookshops in the country. It received several hundred thousand devotees and visitors every year.
Grand Red Carpet Welcome:
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife were welcomed by cultural performances when they arrived at the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.
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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak arrived at the temple and greeted by devotees and well-wishers.
Devotees and well-wishers eager to greet and shake hands with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is the third prime minister to visit the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple in Brickfields, KL after Tunku Abdul Rahman (in 1967) and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (in 2008).
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib and Chief High Priest of Malaysia Venerable Reverand K. Sri Dhammaratana Nayaka Maha Thera.
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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is tighly guarded by bodyguards.
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Pretty maidens dressed in multiracial costumes carrying flowers to welcome the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
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A Malay kompang and Chinese lion dance troupes give a rousing performance to welcome the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
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Chief High Priest of Malaysia, the Most Venerable K. Sri Dhammaratana Nayaka Maha Thera in his speech thanked Primr Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor for their visit which exemplified the true spirit of 1Malayia and hope they will visit the temple every year on Wesak Day.
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Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai wished all Buddhist devotees Happy Wesak Day.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wished the Buddhist community a happy and peaceful Wesak Day.
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor handing out donation from Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple to a representative from one of three selected homes. Looking on are his husband Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Chief High Priest of Malaysia, The Most Venerable K. Sri Dhammaratana Nayaka Maha Thera and Buddhist Maha Vihara president Tilak Lesli.
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was presented with a nice bouquet of flowers by a pair of children from Ti-Ratana Welfare Home.
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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor watching a cultural show at the Asoka Hall in Wisma Dharma Cakra.
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A 1Malaysia drum performance dance comprising Malay rebana ubi and kompang, Bhangra dhol drums ....x
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... and Chinese and Indian drums.
A 1Malaysia dance combining the various cultural dances rooted from the diverse Malaysian ethnic groups, reflecting the cultural diversity and harmony of Malaysia.
A 1Malaysia dance by children from Ti- Ratana Welfare Home.
The large Selamat Datang (Welcome) signboard on the stage at Asoka Hall, Wisma Dharma Cakara in the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple complex.
From left: Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Chief High Priest of Malaysia, the Most Venerable K. Sri Dhammaratana, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Datin Seri Lee Sun Loo.
Popular British chef, television personality and restaurateur Gordon Ramsey personally served the special vegetarian dish which he cooked up for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
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Cheerful: Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (left) and Federal Territories and Wellbeing Deputy Minster M Saravanan.
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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak played a small part in helping save the planet by planting a tree to mark his visit to the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple in Brickfields, KL.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak looking at the sandbox tree (Hura Crepitans) which he had just planted.
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The sandbox tree (Hura Crepitans) planted by Prime Minster Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
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One for the album: A group photo taken outside Wisma Dharma Cakra in the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple complex to commemorate the visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Showing the 1Malaysia sign for the Wesak Day celebration.
Paying homage to Lord Buddha:
Thousands of devotees flocked to the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple on Wesak Day to celebrate and pay respect to the Lord Buddha on his birthday, his attainment of enlightenment and to commemorate his death. x
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Devotees waiting outside the main Shrine Hall for the prayer session.
Devotees queueing up to get into the main Shrine Hall under the scorching heat.
The Lord Buddha in seated meditation in the middle of the Shrine Hall which is full of devotees.
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Devotees paying respect to Lord Buddha with a Buddhist monk (not in picture) chanting blessings to them. Note the Standing Buddha on the one side ....
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Devotees paying respect to Lord Buddha with a Buddhist monk (not in picture) chanting blessings to them. Note the Standing Buddha on the one side ....
... and the Reclining Buddha on the other opposite side (facing the Standing Buddha).
A Buddhist monk sprinkling holy water at devotees during the prayer session inside the Shrine Hall.
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A Buddhist monk sprinkling holy water at devotees during the prayer session inside the Shrine Hall.
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Two Buddhist monks sitting next to the Reclining Buddha.
Devotees offering prayers to Lord Buddha.
A family deep in prayers during Wesak Day celebration at Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple, Kuala Lumpur.
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A devotee bows her head and clasps her hands in prayer to Lord Buddha.
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Young devotees offering flowers and lighted candles to pay homage to Lord Buddha.
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Devotees burning candles and joss sticks to pay homage to Lord Buddha.
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Devotees sitting inside the Pagoda which houses various Buddha statues and artifacts from different Buddhist countries.
The statue of Lord Buddha sitting on a pedestal inside the Pagoda.
A Buddhist monk sprinkling holy water at the devotees. x
Volunteers hand out plastic bottles of holy water and yellow thread to be tied around the wrist meant to protect and bless the wearer at all times.
Devout Buddhist bring simple offerings of flowers to pay homage to Lord Buddha.
Devotees lighting up oil lamps to signify enlightenment.
Rows of Wesak oil lamps.
A statue of Lord Buddha sitting in a meditating posture.
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The Thorana – a specially constructed display structure (11m by 10m) depicting the 10 important events in the life of the Buddha lit up with 25,000 bulbs. Click the above pic to enlarge.
Pictorial 1 - Birth of Prince Siddharta on Wesak Day
Pictorial 2 - The Four Sights: Old Man, Sick Man, Dead Man, Ascetic
Pictorial 3 - Giving up the Palace and Becoming An Ascetic
Pictorial 4 - Severe Fasting
Pictorial 5 - Overcoming Mara, The Evil One
Pictorial 6 - The First Sermon to the Five Ascetics
Pictorial 7 - Receiving Alms from Rich and Poor
Pictorial 8 - Taming the Enraged Elephant, Nalagiri
Pictorial 9 - Setting up the Order of Nuns
Pictorial 10 - The Great Passing Away on Wesak Day
Pictorial 9 - Setting up the Order of Nuns
Pictorial 10 - The Great Passing Away on Wesak Day
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A Metta meditation in session lasting 15 minutes.
Volunteers at the kitchen prepared the vegetarian food in pre-packed boxes for devotees.
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A Metta meditation in session lasting 15 minutes.
Volunteers at the kitchen prepared the vegetarian food in pre-packed boxes for devotees.
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Popular British chef, television personality and restaurateur Gordon Ramsey prepared a special vegetarian dish (cuisine) for the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Pre-packed vegetarian food ready for distribution to devotees.
Big crowd of devotees waiting for their vegetarian lunch.
Devotees queueing up to get their pre-packed vegetarian food.
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These Botswana students from Sunway University College were among thousands of people visiting the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple in Brickfields, KL for the Wesak Day celebration. x
Devotees donate blood at the blood donation campaign. Staff nurses from Pusat Darah Negara (National Blood Bank) assisted in the collection of blood from donours.
Four brave young men from the Royal Military College (RMC) or Maktab Tentera DiRaja (MTD) in Sungai Besi pledged to donate their organs at the organ donation drive booth. From left: Joel Tan, Choo Pee Li, Tharmelinggem Pillai and Teoh Wai Fu. Malaysia is in need of more organ donors to save the lives of thousands of patients who are currently in need of new organ transplants.
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The red carpet was rolled out from the entrance of the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple in Jalan Berhala right up to Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad.
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The entrance to the Buddhist Maha Vihara temple located in Jalan Berhala, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. The temple has been around for decades and it is believe that the vibes are very positive.
As you enter, you are greeted by a water fountain with a lotus flower in the centre.
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