GEORGE TOWN: After a three-year hiatus, the Wesak Day procession in Penang is back with 25 organisations participating this year.
The 7km-long procession, which started at about 6.30am Thursday (May 4) from the Malaysia Buddhist Association building in Jalan Burma, passed by Jalan Pangkor, Jalan Kelawai, Lorong Burma, Jalan Perak, Lebuhraya Peel, Jalan Macalister, Jalan Anson and Lorong Madras before returning to the point of origin about four hours later.
Thousands of devotees gathered along both sides of the roads to witness the passing of brightly decorated floats, with some offering prayers, while the rest just gathered to witness the event.
Earlier, at the launch of Penang Buddhist Association in Jalan Anson, its president Chan Seong Lok said they were glad to reopen the celebration to the public after a lapse of three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Wesak Day has always been a special occasion for Buddhists all over the world, as it is a special day to commemorate the birth, the supreme enlightenment and the attainment of Mahaparinirvana of the Lord Buddha.
"It is also a festival for rejoice and an occasion for us to reflect on our personal spiritual development.
"This year marks the 2,567th year of the Buddhist calendar, and we are reminded of the great guidance by the Lord Buddha, who taught us to practise the right thoughts and develop the right virtues," he said during the ceremony under a large Bodhi tree at the association's premises.
Wesak Day is observed by Buddhists as a religious event to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of Siddharta Gautama Buddha.
