The Maha Bodhi Society of Kolkata is celebrating Buddha Purnima. The Maha Bodhi Society is a South Asian Buddhist society currently based in Kolkata, India. Maha Bodhi Society, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.
The appearance or birth of Gautama Buddha is celebrated throughout South Asia, Southeast and East Asia. In India this day is known as Buddha purnima. This day is very sacred to Indians especially Sanatan (traditional) Hindus.
A feeling rose from my heart while photographing the Buddha’s birthday celebration at the Maha Bodhi Society in Kolkata.
Today, when human civilization is plunged into a turbulent cycle of time – where one end of the world is maddened by war, terrorism and is drunk on the joy of self-destruction. Elsewhere, social, political chaos, epidemics and natural disasters are plaguing people’s lives.
Gautama Buddha seated in meditation on a vibrant lotus flower at the Maha Bodhi Society of Kolkata . On the right hand is showing the vitarka mudra which expresses the development of knowledge with the help of intuition. Vitarka mudra is a symbolic, ritualistic hand gesture used in yoga, Buddhism and Hinduism. Maha Bodhi Society, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.
The development of supply by the greed of powerful people is becoming a regime day by day and is bringing the message of a crisis of civilization to the world. And at the root of all this lies human disorder – selfishness, infatuation, lust, dissatisfaction, powerlessness.
It is precisely in such a situation that we can recall the vision of the Buddha. And if we want to move forward in that way, we have to look again at the traditional culture of India.
On the wall of the Maha Bodhi Society of Kolkata is showing an episode from the life of the Buddha depicting decay, disease and death. Coming out of the royal palace, the Buddha first saw this scene while touring the locality. Maha Bodhi Society, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.An incident from the life of the Buddha painted on the wall of the Mahabodhi Society of Kolkata is showing Mara, a demon tries to dissuade Prince Siddhartha from attaining enlightenment by tempting him with visions of his heavenly army and beautiful women. Maha Bodhi Society, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.The left panel on the wall of the Mahabodhi Society of Kolkata shows the body of the Buddha emaciated by the extreme practice of fasting. And the panel on the right shows that he attained nirvana through all the difficult trials and rigorous sadhanas and became Buddha. Maha Bodhi Society, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.Parinirvana scene of Gautama Buddha painted on the wall of the Mahabodhi Society of Kolkata. When the Buddha died near the northern Indian city of Kushinagar, he was freed from the cycle of births and attained nirvana, the ultimate release from karmic rebirth. Maha Bodhi Society, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.
Kaushik Sengupta is a self-taught photographer from Kolkata. He worked as a freelance photographer for Reauters and later for the Associated Press. He has… More »
