SSC
Buddha Purnima is observed on the full moon day of which month?
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Answer: Option D — Vaishakha
Detailed Solution
Buddha Purnima, also known as Buddha Jayanti or Vesak, is observed on the full moon day (Purnima) of the month of Vaishakha, which usually falls in April or May. It is the most important festival for Buddhists around the world.
Buddha Purnima is often described as "thrice blessed", because three major events in the life of Gautama Buddha are believed to have taken place on the full moon day of Vaishakha:
His birth, as Prince Siddhartha, at Lumbini (in present-day Nepal), around the 6th century BCE.
His enlightenment (bodhi), under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, in present-day Bihar.
His death or final release (mahaparinirvana), at Kushinagar, in present-day Uttar Pradesh.
On this day, Buddhists visit monasteries and temples, offer flowers, candles and incense, listen to sermons, meditate and recite Buddhist scriptures. Many people wear white clothes, avoid eating meat, and perform acts of kindness and charity, such as feeding the poor and releasing caged birds. Special prayers are held at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Sri Lanka, the festival is called Vesak Poya and is celebrated with lanterns and decorations. In Sikkim, the related festival of Saga Dawa is celebrated during the month that includes this day.
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly recognised the Day of Vesak as an international observance, to acknowledge the contribution of Buddhism to humanity. Buddha Purnima is a public holiday in India.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kartika is the month of Diwali and Kartik Purnima (Guru Nanak Jayanti and Dev Deepawali).
- ✗Ashadha is the month of Guru Purnima, which Buddhists link with the Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath.
- ✗Magha is the month of festivals such as Vasant Panchami and Maghi Purnima.
Quick tip
Remember: Buddha Purnima = the full moon of Vaishakha and the three events of birth, enlightenment and mahaparinirvana.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.