Welcoming Buddha's relics to the top of Ba Den mountain, Tay Ninh

On the afternoon of May 8, thousands of international delegates from more than 80 countries gathered at Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh , to attend a series of sacred rituals within the framework of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025.

The Vesak 2025 delegation departed from the Vietnam Buddhist Academy (HCMC) to the Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area to perform the ceremony to welcome the Buddha's relics and attend the solemn rituals of the Vesak Festival.

The delegation includes more than 1,200 international delegates from India, Bhutan, China, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the US, France, Germany, Thailand... and more than 800 domestic delegates, representing the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the Tay Ninh Provincial Buddhist Sangha and local leaders.

The ceremony of carrying the Buddha's relics - India's national treasure - to the top of Ba Den Mountain was undertaken by senior clergy of the Indian Buddhist Sangha, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and international Buddhist delegations.

The relics were brought back to Vietnam under strict security and religious protection.

At the highest mountain in the South, Buddha's relics are solemnly enshrined at the Buddhist Exhibition Center from May 8 to 13 for Buddhists and the public to worship.

Witnessing and attending the ceremony were His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha - Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang; Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the Executive Council, Chairman of the Vesak 2025 Organizing Committee; Most Venerable Prof. Dr. Phra Brahmapundit, Chairman of the International Committee for Vesak (ICDV) along with Supreme Patriarchs, Supreme Patriarchs, and leaders of Buddhist organizations from more than 85 countries and territories.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Nguyen Hong Thanh, Acting Chairman of Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee, said that Tay Ninh province is honored to be chosen to receive the Buddha's relics - India's sacred national treasure, within the framework of the 2025 Vesak Festival.

"This is a great source of pride for the people of the province, and at the same time a cultural diplomatic event of profound significance, contributing to spreading the message of peace and solidarity between countries and the global Buddhist community," said Mr. Thanh, who believes that Ba Den Mountain will be a sacred pilgrimage destination for thousands of Buddhists at home and abroad.

Mr. Thanh also expressed his gratitude to the Vesak 2025 Organizing Committee, the religious dignitaries, the diplomatic corps, especially the Buddhist delegation and the Indian Consulate General for choosing Ba Den Mountain as the place to enshrine the relics.

Buddha's relics are being enshrined and worshiped at Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh.

Immediately after the ceremony to enshrine the relics, the ceremony to plant 108 Bodhi trees was held at the "Bodhi Garden World" on top of Ba Den Mountain.

After the Bodhi tree planting ceremony, more than 2,000 Vesak delegates attended a candle lighting ceremony to pray for world peace at Tay Bo Da Son square.

Hoang Tho - Vtcnews.vn

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cung-nghinh-xa-loi-duc-phat-len-dinh-nui-ba-den-tay-ninh-ar942172.html