Had any idea on spending your 2016 Vesak Day holiday? How about going for “Thangka” sunning ritual & a prehistoric cave… on the same day?
Vesak day is one of the many public holidays in Malaysia celebrated by Buddhist all around the world. Buddhism spread from India and assimilated into many foreign cultures, and consequently Vesākha is celebrated in many ways all over the world. See what is Vesak day below:
Vesākha (Pali; Sanskrit: Vaiśākha), also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists on different days in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia and in other places all over the world. Sometimes informally called “Buddha’s Birthday”, it actually commemorates the birth, enlightenment (nirvāna), and death (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha in the Theravada or southern tradition.
Source: Wikipedia
Vesak Day “Thangka” sunning ritual
In Ipoh, the Enlightened Heart Buddhist Temple in Tambun, it’s said that more than 5,000 devotees from around the world are expected to attend the celebration. The celebration begins with devotees bathing a statue of Buddha in a pond followed by a few rituals including chants and dance.
The highlight of the celebration will the famous “Thangka” sunning ritual where they will unfold a giant canvas painting of the Buddha before exposing it to the sun’s rays. The sunning of the painting follows a tradition in Tibet of the sunning of carpets to absorb the powers of the sun and promote peace, harmony, success and good health. Hundreds of devotees will gathered up to unfold the gargantuan size of 180 foot by 30 foot Thangka at the temple parking lot and after the unfolding, devotees will walk under the thangka to receive good luck for the year.
Every year the disciples touch up the painting to ensure that it remains in pristine condition. The Thangka is the temple’s specialty, and attracts devotees from all over the region. At the moment, it might be the largest painting of its kind in Malaysia.
The Prehistoric Gua Tambun
As Ipoh Secrets are keen on promoting and preserving our heritage, the prehistoric rock art of Gua Tambun (previous event), we invited《摄影玩家》&《旅游玩家》over for a photography session after they finish doing their rounds at the “Thangka” sunning ritual.
With the help of Dr. Goh and the GTHAP team, we hope that the group of photography enthusiast will able to capture and spread out the news about the dire condition of Gua Tambun with amazing pictures.
If you like spending your 2016 Vesak day holiday in a national heritage site, do come by at the meeting point on time (info at bottom of the page)!
Meeting Point:
Date: 21st May 2016
Time: 2.30 PM
Meeting Point: Caltex Tambun (petrol station)
Google Maps: Click Here
GPS Coordinates: 4.607277, 101.129271
Entrance Fee/Tour Fare: FREE OF CHARGE!
(For late comers, you’ll had to navigate into the site yourself, try asking your bro Mr. Google)
This free guided tour organized by Ipoh Secrets, guided by:
Gua Tambun Heritage Awareness Program (GTHAP)
Links: Homepage | Facebook
Photographers event by:
摄影人旅游玩家 Photography Magazine & Travel Magazine: Facebook | Event
Photography Magazine: 摄影玩家 Photo Creator, Advanced Images & Fotografika | Link
Travel Magazine: 旅游玩家 Travelmate & Travelution | Link
