• Vesak Day 2021 is observed globally on 26 May.
• Vesak, the Day of Full Moon is the most sacred day to Buddhists all over the world.
• On this day, Lord Gautham Buddha attained enlightenment. The Day is commemorated by the United Nations every year.
• The Day is being celebrated by the United Nations since 2000. The decision to celebrate the birthday of Buddha as Vesak Day was first formalized at the World Fellowships of Buddhists conference that was held in Sri Lanka in 1950.
• Since 2004, International Vesak Summit is being organized. In 2019, it was held in Vietnam. So far, the summit has been held 11 times in Thailand, 3 times in Vietnam and 1 time in Sri Lanka. 

Vesak Global Celebration

• The Prime Minister addressed “Virtual Vesak Global Celebrations” on Buddha Purnima.
• The event is being organised by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and will witness the participation of all the supreme heads of the Buddhist Sanghas from around the world.

Buddha Purnima :

• It is celebrated to mark the birth of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
• It is also known as Vesak. In 1999, it became a UN-designated day, to acknowledge the contribution of Buddhism to society.
• It is considered a 'triple-blessed day' - as Tathagata Gautam Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and Maha Parnirvana.
• Buddha Purnima falls on a full moon night, usually between April and May, and it is a gazetted holiday in India.

International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) :

• IBC is the biggest religious Buddhist confederation.
• The purpose of this body is to create a role for Buddhism on the global stage so as to help to preserve heritage, share knowledge, and promote values and to represent a united front for Buddhism to enjoy meaningful participation in the global discourse.
• In November 2011, New Delhi was host to Global Buddhist Congregation (GBC), where the attendees unanimously adopted a resolution to form an international umbrella body – the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).
• Headquarters - Delhi, India.

About Gautam Buddha :

• He was born as Siddhartha Gautama in circa 563 BCE, in Lumbini and belonged to the Sakya clan.
• Gautam attained Bodhi (enlightenment) under a pipal tree at Bodhgaya, Bihar.
• Buddha gave his first sermon in the village of Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. This event is known as Dharma Chakra Pravartana (turning of the wheel of law).
• He died at the age of 80 in 483 BCE at Kushinagara, Uttar Pradesh. The event is known as Mahaparinibban or Mahaparinirvana.