A series of major spiritual rituals will be organized by the International Organizing Committee of the United Nations Vesak Celebration (ICDV) and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), aiming at the theme of the Grand Ceremony – “Harmony and Inclusion for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development”.
Ceremony of Escorting the Buddha's Relics from the National Museum of India
For the first time in history, a national treasure of India will be escorted to Ba Den Mountain for Buddhists and tourists to venerate. These are relics contained within a casket discovered in 1898 by British archaeologist William Claxon Peppé from the foundation of a ruin in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh. After deciphering the inscriptions on the lid, it was identified as the original relics of the Buddha. The discovery of the Piprahwa relic casket marked a significant turning point in Buddhist history by proving that Gautama Buddha was a real historical figure, something that had previously been doubted and denied.
In 1997, Thai Buddhism created and offered a gold-plated stupa with its pinnacle containing 109 grams of real gold to enshrine this relic. For centuries, the Buddha relic has been considered a precious treasure of humanity, visited by international delegations for worship, meditation, and chanting.
The Buddha's relic will be brought to Ba Den Mountain with solemn ceremonies by thousands of high-ranking Buddhist dignitaries of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, international Buddhist delegations, government representatives, and delegates of the Vesak 2025 Grand Ceremony. On the highest mountain in the South, the Buddha relic will be enshrined at the Buddhist Exhibition Center from May 8-13, 2025, for Buddhists and the public to admire and pay homage to this world Buddhist treasure and receive the Buddha's blessings.
The procession of the Relic from the National Museum of New Delhi, India - the cradle of Buddhism - to Vietnam is not only a significant religious event but also a great fortune for Buddhists and tourists to sow seeds of goodness, praying for national peace, world peace, and the well-being of all sentient beings.
Ceremony of planting 108 Bodhi trees
Following the relic procession ceremony, the ceremony of planting 108 Bodhi trees will be held at the Bodhi Garden on Ba Den Mountain by eminent monks and leaders from Buddhist delegations from 80 countries worldwide. This is a special Bodhi garden unprecedented in Vietnam, where each tree will bear the name of a country, symbolizing the presence and eternal mark of the Vesak 2025 Grand Ceremony at Ba Den Mountain.
In Buddhist culture, it was under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, that Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment as the Buddha. Therefore, the Bodhi tree holds an extremely sacred position, symbolizing enlightenment, wisdom, peace, and protection.
The number 108 is also a sacred number in Buddhism, symbolizing the 108 human afflictions, and the practice of dharma to overcome these 108 afflictions to reach the shore of peace. Planting 108 Bodhi trees at Ba Den Mountain carries a profound meaning of sowing seeds of enlightenment, nurturing compassion and wisdom, so that Buddhists and visitors can find peace and purity right on the sacred mountain peak.
The Ba Den Mountain Bodhi garden will be a destination symbolizing enlightenment and harmony, a symbol of world peace and sustainable development preserved at the highest mountain in the South. The Bodhi garden is also a place where visitors can meditate, contemplate Buddhist teachings, and find peace in their souls.
Grand Ceremony of Lighting Candles for World Peace Prayer
In the evening of May 8, 2025, the Grand Ceremony of Lighting Candles for World Peace Prayer will be solemnly held at the vast Tay Bo Da Son square on the summit of Ba Den Mountain. The ceremony is an occasion for eminent monks and religious dignitaries from around the globe to light candles symbolizing the light of wisdom and compassion, and to pray for a peaceful and tranquil world.
Each candle lit is a sincere prayer for world peace, for the end of war, conflict, poverty, and suffering; praying for beings to live in peace, happiness, and love.
Amidst the sacred space of the holy mountain, combined with the magical light of thousands of candles, is a warm prayer chant, which will create a powerful resonant energy, spreading messages of peace, unity, and love. This is not just a religious ritual but also a cultural event with strong humanistic values, expressing the aspiration for peace of the Vietnamese people and Buddhists worldwide.
The series of special spiritual events taking place on May 8, 2025, at Ba Den Mountain not only makes Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh, a world pilgrimage destination but also contributes to spreading the image of Vietnam, a peace-loving nation and people.
