The Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA), a 47-year-old organization in NJ, USA, in partnership with the Indianconsulate in New York, and the east coast chapter of the Bihar Foundation, conducted successful celebrations of Buddha Jayanti on May 6th at the Buddha Vihar, Princeton, NJ.
Buddha Jayanti, one of the mostimportant Buddhist commemorates thebirth,enlightenment, and passing of Gautam Buddha. The event was attended by dignitaries from the consulates of India, Nepal, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka, as well as members of the Indian Diaspora from various Indian Community Organizations.
On this occasion, Bihar Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar mentioned in his message to BJANA communities in the USA, about the teachings and ideals of the Buddha, which will enlighten us and guide us on the right path.
Nitish Kumar has appreciated the efforts we are taking to preserve the glorious history, rich cultural heritage, language, and traditions of our regionin the USA. He is also confident that this celebration will help us rise above all man-made divides and spread peace, happiness, and prosperity in both countries.
The event was attended by Indian Counsel General Randhir Jaiswal, who extended his warmest greetings and best wishes to all the Buddhist followers who celebrate Buddha Purnima. He congratulated BJANA and the Bihar Foundation for leadingthe Indian community and people from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam to celebrate Buddha Jayanti together. He emphasized that the teachings of Buddha continue to inspire and guide us toward a path of peace and harmony.
The event was attended by the Consul General of Nepal, Bishnu Prasad Gautam, and the Consul General of Vietnam, Dinh Phuong Mai. They addressed the attendees about Buddha’s enlightenment and the teachings that can bring happiness and peace in life.
BJANA president Anurag Kumar welcomed the attendees and thanked everyone for being part of this celebration. The event started with theparikrama of the Lord Buddha statue and a performance by kids in the form of dance and Buddha’s teachings.
On behalf of FIA, Executive Vice President Dr. Avinash Gupta and FIA Trustee Srujal Parikh congratulated and thanked BJANA, the Indian Consulate, and the Bihar Foundation for organizing Buddha Divas at the grand location of Bidhha Vihar and getting all communities together. Alok Kumar, chairman of the Bihar Foundation East Coast Chapter, in his message emphasized the importance of teachings from the life of Buddha and focused on inner peace, kindness, and compassion.
Sanjeev Singh, vice president of BJANA, expressed his sincere gratitude to the executive team, volunteers, and members of the community who helped make this event a success. Additionally, Singh thanked Dr. S. Siddharth, the principal secretary to the chief minister of Bihar, and Kumar Ravi, the commissioner of Patna, for their invaluable assistance in making this event a success.