Religion is not meant to create conflict and division, but to promote dialogue and harmony. Buddha Purnima is an appropriate occasion to dwell a little on the Buddhist philosophy I follow, of Nichiren Daishonin, called the Soka Gakkai, which literally means "Value Creating Society".

Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, says: "The people and the society of our age might be compared to a ship in the middle of the ocean which has lost its compass. Without an accurate guide to lead them, they sail aimlessly along towards the future''.

(See also: Buddha Purnima , Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Buddha Purnima: From Desire To Enlightenment  

Pilgrims visit Bodh Gaya on Vaishakha Purnima day as it marks the three major events in the Buddha's life: His birth, enlightenment and passing away.

Buddha Purnima assumes great importance especially when the world faces challenges of violence and terrorism in various forms. Buddha said that just as fire cannot extinguish fire, war cannot solve disputes. Enmity cannot overcome enmity; it can be overcome only with love. Disputes can be settled through dialogue and negotiation, not by war..

(See also: Vaishakha Purnima day , Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Vaishakha Purnima day: A Life in the Day Of the Buddha

Vesak (from the name of the second month in the Hindu calendar) is the most holy time in the Buddhist calendar. The word Vesak itself is the Sinhalese language word for the Pali word "Visakha". Vesak is also known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in India, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia and Vesak (Wesak) in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The equivalent festival in Laos is called Vixakha Bouxa.Vesak is a public holiday in many Asian countries like S ...

Read more here: » Vesak: Encyclopedia - Vesak

Vesak (from the name of the second month in the Hindu calendar) is the most holy time in the Buddhist calendar. The word Vesak itself is the Sinhalese language word for the Pali word "Visakha". Vesak is also known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in India, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia and Vesak (Wesak) in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The equivalent festival in Laos is called Vixakha Bouxa.Vesak is a public holiday in many Asian countries like S ...

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Bihar (बिहार in Devanagari) is a state of the Indian union situated in the eastern part of the country. Its capital is Patna. Etymologically, the name Bihar derives from the Sanskrit Vihara which means abode. The Buddhist Vihara, which were the abode of the Buddhist monks, dotted the area in the ancient and medieval periods. To Bihar's north is the Kingdom of Nepal. On its other three sides Bihar is surrounded by the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the west, Jharkhand to the south and Wes ...

Including:

• Bihar - History
• Bihar - Ancient
• Bihar - Medieval
• Bihar - Modern
• Bihar - Timelines
• Bihar - Geography & climate
• Bihar - Economy
• Bihar - Government & politics
• Bihar - Administrative
• Bihar - Transport & travel
• Bihar - Places to See
• Bihar - Culture
• Bihar - Festivals
• Bihar - Folksongs & music
• Bihar - Dances of Bihar
• Bihar - Language & Literature
• Bihar - Folk Theatre
• Bihar - Cinema
• Bihar - Cuisine
• Bihar - Art
• Bihar - Education
• Bihar - Schools
• Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia - Bihar

Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya is the place of Buddha's attainment of Enlightenment. The complex, located about 96 kilometers from Patna (situated at latitude 24° 41' 45" N, longitude 85° 2' 2" E) in the state of Bihar in India, contains the Mahabodhi Temple with the diamond throne (called the Vajrasana) and the holy Bodhi tree. This tree is a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka, its ...

Including:

• Bodh Gaya - History
• Bodh Gaya - Mahabodhi temple
• Bodh Gaya - Other Buddhist temples
• Bodh Gaya - External link

Read more here: » Bodh Gaya: Encyclopedia - Bodh Gaya

The following is a List of Festivals in India: Indian festivals - Hindu. Diwali Bhaubeej Dussehra or Daserra Kumar Purnima Chhath Holi Makar Sankranti Pongal Mahashivratri Ugadi Gudi Padwa Ramanavami Baisakhi Onam Raja Shankranti Puri Jaganath Ratha yatra Ganesh Puja Saraswati Puja PrathamAstami Krishna Janmastami Including:

• Indian festivals - Hindu
• Indian festivals - Islamic
• Indian festivals - Sikhism
• Indian festivals - Zoroastrian
• Indian festivals - Christian
• Indian festivals - Others
• Indian festivals - Unofficial

Read more here: » Indian festivals: Encyclopedia - Indian festivals

The Parsis account for less than 0.007% of the Indian population, but as Mahatma Gandhi said, they are "in number beneath contempt, but in contribution, beyond compare." The same could be said of their festivals. Unfortunately, like the Parsis themselves, these are private and celebrated primarily within the community. The Parsis use the Shahenshahi ("Imperial") version of the Zoroastrian calendar, which differs significantly from the Qadimi ("Ancient") version that their Iranian co-religionists use. For example, New Year is ce ...

See also:

Indian festivals, Indian festivals - Hindu, Indian festivals - Islamic, Indian festivals - Sikhism, Indian festivals - Zoroastrian, Indian festivals - Christian, Indian festivals - Others, Indian festivals - Unofficial

Read more here: » Indian festivals: Encyclopedia II - Indian festivals - Zoroastrian

The Parsis account for less than 0.007% of the Indian population, but as Mahatma Gandhi said, they are "in number beneath contempt, but in contribution, beyond compare." The same could be said of their festivals. Unfortunately, like the Parsis themselves, these are private and celebrated primarily within the community. The Parsis use the Shahenshahi ("Imperial") version of the Zoroastrian calendar, which differs significantly from the Qadimi ("Ancient") version that their Iranian co-religionists use. For example, New Year is ce ...

See also:

List of Festivals in India, List of Festivals in India - Hindu, List of Festivals in India - Islamic, List of Festivals in India - Sikhism, List of Festivals in India - Zoroastrian, List of Festivals in India - Christian, List of Festivals in India - Others, List of Festivals in India - Unofficial

Read more here: » List of Festivals in India: Encyclopedia II - List of Festivals in India - Zoroastrian

According to Buddhist traditions, circa 500 BC Prince Gautama Siddhartha, wandering as a monk, reached the sylvan banks of Falgu River, near the city of Gaya. There he sat in meditation under a peepal tree (Ficus religiosa). After three days and three nights of meditation, Siddharta attained enlightenment and insight, and the answers that he had sought. Enlightened by the new thought, he spent seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. After seven weeks, he travelled to Sarna ...

See also:

Bodh Gaya, Bodh Gaya - History, Bodh Gaya - Mahabodhi temple, Bodh Gaya - Other Buddhist temples, Bodh Gaya - External link

Read more here: » Bodh Gaya: Encyclopedia II - Bodh Gaya - History

Bihar - Ancient. Bihar has a very rich history. It was called Magadha in ancient times. Its capital Patna, then known as Pataliputra, was the center of the Mauryan empire, which dominated the Indian subcontinent between 325 BC-185 BC. Emperor Ashoka was the most famous ruler of this dynasty. Bihar remained an important place of power, culture and education during the next one thousand years. Nalanda and Vikramshila Universities were the worl ...

See also:

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - History

Bihar - Festivals. Chhath, also called Dala Chhath - is a major festival in Bihar, and is celebrated a week after Deepawali. Chhath is the worship of the Sun God. Wherever people from Bihar have migrated, they have taken with them the tradition of Chhath, and now this festival is known even in a metropolis like Calcutta, or New Delhi or Mumbai. Teej and Chitragupta Puja are other local festivals celebrated with fervour in Bihar. Among other festivals the Shravani Mela of Sultanganj is of ...

See also:

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Culture

It is believed that 250 years after the Enlightenment of the Buddha, Emperor Ashoka visited Bodh Gaya. He is considered to be the original founder of the Mahabodhi temple. It consisted of an elongated spire crowned by a miniature stupa and a chhatravali on a platform. A double flight of steps led up to the platform and the upper sanctum. The mouldings on the spire contained Buddha images in niches. Some historians believe that the temple was constructed or renovated in the 1st century during the Kushan period. With the decline of Buddhism in India, the temple was abandoned and forgott ...

See also:

Bodh Gaya, Bodh Gaya - History, Bodh Gaya - Mahabodhi temple, Bodh Gaya - Other Buddhist temples, Bodh Gaya - External link

Read more here: » Bodh Gaya: Encyclopedia II - Bodh Gaya - Mahabodhi temple

Bihar has three airports - Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Patna, Bhagalpur Airport and Gaya. Patna airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Ranchi. It is categorised as a restricted international airport, with customs facilities to receive international chartered flights. Gaya airport is a small international airport connected to Colombo and Bangkok. Bihar is well-connected by railway lines to the rest of India. Most of the towns are interconnected among themselves, and they also are directly connected to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. Patna, Bhagalpur a ...

See also:

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Transport & travel

There was a division of Bihar in 2000, when the industrially advanced and mineral-rich part of the state was carved out as the separate state of Jharkhand. Since then, the main economic activity of Bihar has been agriculture. Bihar is among the less developed states of India and has a low per capita income. The blame for this stems from many factors: a historical neglect from the center of Indian power (be it Calcutta during the British Empire or Delhi in the independent India), lack of vision of the political classes, absence of a su ...

See also:

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Economy

Geography Bihar is mainly a vast stretch of very fertile flat land. It has several rivers: Ganga, Son, Bagmati, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, and Falgu to name a few. Central parts of Bihar have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills. The Himalayan mountains are to the north, in Nepal. To the south is the Chota Nagpur plateau, which was part of Bihar until 2000 but now is part of a separate state called Jharkhand. Climate Bihar is mildly cold in the winter (the lowest temperatures being around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius). Win ...

See also:

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Geography & climate

Nominally Bihar is headed by a Governor, who is appointed by the President of India. The real executive power rests with the Chief Minister and the cabinet. The political party or the coalition of political parties having a majority in the Legislative Assembly forms the Government. The head of the bureaucracy of the State is called the Chief Secretary. Under him is a hierarchy of officials drawn from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and different wings of the State Civil Services. The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice. Bihar has ...

See also:

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Government & politics

Bihar has three airports - Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Patna, Bhagalpur Airport and Gaya. Patna airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Ranchi. It is categorised as a a restricted international airport, with customs facilities to receive international chartered flights. Gaya airport is a small international airport connected to Colombo and Bangkok. Bihar is well-connected by railway lines to the rest of India. Most of the towns are interconnected among themselves, and they also are directly connected to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. Patna, Bhagalpur a ...

See also:

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Transport & travel

Historically, Bihar has been a major centre of learning, home to the universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila. Modern Bihar has an acutely-inadequate educational infrastructure, creating a problem compounded by a growing population. This has prompted many students to seek educational opportunities in other states, such as New Delhi and Karnataka, especially for college education. Bihar has the highest illiteracy rate in India, with women's literacy being only 33.57 %. The standard of Bihari education today is widely considered to be poor.

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Education