Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win who is also serving as Chairman of the Patron Committee of the Organizing Buddha Day Gala Ceremony on Kason Full Moon Day delivered an address at the coordination meeting between the patron committee and the leading committee at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon.
In his speech, the Vice-Senior General said that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the resolution 54/115 on 13 December 1999 for the Fullmoon Day of Kason as the International Vesak Day or Visākha Day which is a noble day in history of Buddhism.
The Vice-Senior General continued to say that the Nay Pyi Taw Council and Uppatasanti Pagoda Board of Trustees jointly organized the watering of the Maha Bawdi banyan trees in the precinct of the pagoda in the past. From the 13th celebration in 2021, the International Vesak Day has been marked as the national level ceremony.
The Vice-Senior General highlighted that the ceremony to mark the Buddha Day on the full moon day of Kason will comprise five portions offering alms and day meals to members of the Sangha, holding a paper-reading session to mark the Buddha Day, holding the ceremony of watering the Maha Bawdi banyan trees, conveying oil lamps and arranging the Dhamma preaching in the precinct of Uppatasanti Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw on the full moon day of Kason.
Chancellor of Sitagu International Buddhist Academies Shwegyin Sangharaja Sitagu Sayadaw and rectors from three Buddha Universities were requested to choose four resource-person Sayadaws to compile and read research papers on significant events of the Lord Buddha to be submitted to the paper-reading session. Moreover, those three rectors Sayadaws were requested to preside over the paper-reading session.
Conveyance of oil lamps will be included on the agenda in line with the national-level celebration. Arrangements have been made for selecting 80 male Sasana flag bearers and 1,000 female oil lamp carriers. Relevant ministries have been coordinated for the ceremony.
Relevant ministries need to arrange decorated floats to participate in the columns in line with the treatises as such events will be broadcast through State-owned media, the Vice-Senior General added. In conclusion, the Vice-Senior General urged all to take security measures for the ceremony in all aspects.
Chairman of the Leading Committee Union Minister U Ko Ko reported on arrangements for the grand ceremony and Chairman of the Work Committee Deputy Minister U Aye Tun on agenda on water pouring on Maha Bawdi banyan trees and marking the International Vesak Day.
Officials participated in discussions to successfully hold the ceremony.
Later, the Vice-Senior General made necessary coordination over the discussions and gave a concluding remark.—MNA/TTA
