Vesak Day Is A Festive Occassion Celebrated By all Buddhist

Vesak Day is a festive occasion celebrated with joy, peacefulness and gratitude by all Buddhists all over the world, because it commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing of Buddha.

Vesak Day Charity Drive:
Wth is year's Vesak Day around the corner, Nirvana Memorial Garden intends to emulate and promote the compassion of Buddha by organising a special Vesak Day Charity Drive to raise $300,000 for Ren Ci Hospital.

Devotees can donate as they wish, so Nivrana hopes to this opportunity to encourage the traditional virtues of compassion and humanity.

Interested parties can call the donation hotline 6397 2272 for details.

From 10 am to 12 noon on 15 May 2011, Mediacorp celebrity couple, Zheng Geping and Hong Huifang will take part in the annual Vesak Day celebration and the Ren Ci Hospital charity drive event at Nirvana. A half-hourly shuttle bus service from Boon Lay MRT station will be available from 9am to 3pm on that day.


Prayer Ceremony on 15 May 2011:
The ceremonies held at Nirvana are all based on the three major religions of Chinese culture and history: Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Every Vesak Day, Nirvana holds a prayer ceremony at the Majestic Hall of Three-Buddha to encourage the traditional virtues of compassion, peace and kindness.

The Majestic Hall of Three-Buddha houses the Three Buddhas of Sama: Amitaba Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisttva and Kstigarhba Bodhisattva, believed to look after the realms of heaven, earth and man respectively.  These three Buddha statues are approximately 5m tall about two storeys high. They are especially custom made in Putian, China.

This year, Nirvana will conduct the prayer ceremony in advance, on 15 May.  The Bathing of Buddha and the Light Up for Blessings rituals will also be held during the ceremony.

What makes Nirvana the best place for such ceremonies?
Nirvana Memorial Garden is unique, because it is both a columbarium and a temple.

At Nirvana, however, the resident masters conduct chanting sessions every morning and evening for the deceased. Nirvana also conducts several ceremonies and events on festival days. Its comfortable six-star environment has attracted many family members and members of the public to take part in various ceremonies.  Nirvana is therefore bursting with activity, unlike other columbariums which may be quiet and solemn.

Nirvana receives hundreds of visitors weekly and eight tourist coaches a month.  Many of these coach visits are jointly organised with community centres or clan associations and hopes to increase the number of coach visits to eight per week. 

Nirvana provides free transport and meals for such day trip visitors.  Besides toruing the compound, the tour groups may also visit other temples or go to the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre for some grocery shopping.

Nirvana GM Mr Chiang, who had 16 years' experience in the funeral industry in Taiwan, observes: "We are working towards making Nirvana a must see destination for tourists, like Teresa Teng Resting Place in Taipei, which has become a must see for day trip tourist there."