Buddhists gather for ‘Maha Kathina Chivara Dana’ ceremony in Agartala
Hundreds of Buddhist devotees gathered on Saturday at the Venuvan Buddha Vihara, Agartala to participate in the 1st ‘Maha Kathina Chivara Dana’ ceremony. The ceremony will end on November 5th.
‘Kathina Chivara Dana’ or the ‘robe offering ceremony’ is a festival in which Buddhist devotees donate different items, including robes for the living of the monks.
“After the rainy season, the robes that monks wear get worn out. So, it is our duty as Buddhists to offer them new robes and new requisites for them to be able to get on with their lives normally and meditate,” a devotee said.
“The motive of this project is that it is our duty as a Buddhist to follow the ancient and sacred traditions. It is our method of sustaining and maintaining our religion”, he added.
The robe that the Buddhist monks wear is known as ‘Chivara’ and it is believed that the donation of robes to monks is the highest sacrifice according to Buddhism.
