Buddha Jayanti 2025, 2026 and 2027 in Nepal
Buddhists in Nepal celebrate Buddha Jayanti on the full moon day in the Buddhist month of Baishakh. This is normally in May on the Gregorian Calendar. In Nepal, the birthday of Buddha (Buddha Jayanti) is of special significance to many because Nepal is the birth place of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 May | Mon | Buddha Jayanti |
| 2026 | 1 May | Fri | Buddha Jayanti |
| 2027 | 20 May | Thu | Buddha Jayanti |
| Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates. | |||
According to legend, Buddha was born at a pond in the Lumbini Garden in Nepal’s Rupandehi district. You can still see this site today, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also said that Buddha’s mother, Maya Devi, died seven days after giving birth to Buddha, and an idol of her is erected at the Lumbini site.
At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his royal palace and beheld the sufferings of the people all around him. He noticed disease, old age, and death, and then set out on a life-long quest to decipher the cause of all suffering.
It is taught by Buddhists that Buddha was born, attained nirvana, and died all on the same day, the full moon of Baishakh. And although people have believed these things and celebrated Buddha’s birthday for many centuries, it was only in 1950 that the exact official date of Buddha’s birthday was set by the World Fellowship of Buddhists.
Buddha’s conclusion was that desire is the cause of all suffering and of all evil. Thus, the elimination of desire is the cure. He also taught many other principles, morals, and mantras that Buddhists devoutly remember during Buddha Jayanti.
Previous Years
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 23 May | Thu | Buddha Jayanti |
| 2023 | 5 May | Fri | Buddha Jayanti |