Buddha Purnima 2026 in London falls on Friday, May 1, 2026. Sunrise is 5:32 AM GMT+1.
The thrice-blessed full moon: Gautama Buddha’s birth at Lumbini, his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, and his mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar are all held to have occurred on Vaishakha Purnima. For Hindus, Buddha is honored as an avatar of Vishnu; the day is also Kurma Jayanti.
Celebrated across India and the Buddhist world — prayer flags and processions at Bodh Gaya and Sarnath, bathing of the Buddha image, and acts of kindness: feeding the poor, freeing caged birds, vegetarian meals.
A day for meditation, satya and ahimsa. Vaishakha Purnima bathing in holy rivers and charity (water, fans, buttermilk — cooling gifts for summer) are traditional for Hindus as well.