Published On:Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Posted by Celebrate Life Style information Blog
Buddhists descend on Awsworth
A MAJOR Buddhist event took place in a small village in Nottinghamshire.
Fourteen monks from across the UK gathered at Awsworth Village Hall to celebrate the annual Buddhist Kathina ceremony.
The ancient festival dates back over 2,500 years and the month-long event should be completed before the full moon day in November.
During the Kathina ceremony, devotees show their gratitude to the monks representing the Buddhist temples by offering robes and other requisites.
The first Buddhist temple in Nottingham, the Shanthi Buddhist Vihara, in Nuthall Road, organised the event under the guidance of the Venerable Amitha.
He said: "The ceremony was very good and it was great to have such a fantastic turn-out. Around 175-200 people attended and although most were from Nottingham, other people from other areas of the UK – such as London, Birmingham and Hull – came along too."
Awsworth Village Hall, in Broxtowe borough, hosted the celebrations on October 11 and the hall underwent a magical transformation for the event.
On show was a multitude of Buddhist flags, a Buddha statue, a Kathina robe and flowers with generations of Buddhists celebrating and enjoying the ceremony.
Buddhism, which began in India around the fifth century BC, is a growing religion in the region.
The Nottingham City Council's 2011 census says there are currently 2,051 registered Buddhists in Nottingham.
The Venerable Amitha said: "The rise is probably due to people becoming more focused on the meditation side of Buddhism. It's a way of life more than a religion."
Source: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Buddhists-descend-Awsworth/story-23169867-detail/story.html#TumDG8DpAwrykxCy.99
Fourteen monks from across the UK gathered at Awsworth Village Hall to celebrate the annual Buddhist Kathina ceremony.
The ancient festival dates back over 2,500 years and the month-long event should be completed before the full moon day in November.
During the Kathina ceremony, devotees show their gratitude to the monks representing the Buddhist temples by offering robes and other requisites.
The first Buddhist temple in Nottingham, the Shanthi Buddhist Vihara, in Nuthall Road, organised the event under the guidance of the Venerable Amitha.
He said: "The ceremony was very good and it was great to have such a fantastic turn-out. Around 175-200 people attended and although most were from Nottingham, other people from other areas of the UK – such as London, Birmingham and Hull – came along too."
Awsworth Village Hall, in Broxtowe borough, hosted the celebrations on October 11 and the hall underwent a magical transformation for the event.
On show was a multitude of Buddhist flags, a Buddha statue, a Kathina robe and flowers with generations of Buddhists celebrating and enjoying the ceremony.
Buddhism, which began in India around the fifth century BC, is a growing religion in the region.
The Nottingham City Council's 2011 census says there are currently 2,051 registered Buddhists in Nottingham.
The Venerable Amitha said: "The rise is probably due to people becoming more focused on the meditation side of Buddhism. It's a way of life more than a religion."
Source: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Buddhists-descend-Awsworth/story-23169867-detail/story.html#TumDG8DpAwrykxCy.99
