HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Buddha was a king by birth. His clan name was Gotama.
He was born in Sakya Kingdom, eighty years before the
Buddhist Era (around 2625 year ago), at Lumbini Park (now
called Rummindel, in Nepal, north of India), in Madhayama
Pradesa, located between Kapilavastu, capital of the Sakya
Kingdom and Devadaha, capital of the Koliya Kingdom, on
Friday, the Vesak full moon day in the year of the dog.

Prince Siddhatha (the Buddha's personal name) was the son of
King Suddhodana and Queen Sirimahamaya. On his birthday,
Queen Sirimahamaya who was pregnant, wanted to pay a visit
to Devadaha wich was her native country.

In the morning of the Vesak Full moon day, the Queen left
Kapilavastu on a visit to Devadaha. Approaching a lovely park
of Sals trees called Lumbini, located between the two capitals
but nearer to Devadaha, the Queen wanted to visit the park
and when she arrived at a Sal tree she started contractions
and gave birth to a son there. When the Kings of Kapilavastu
and Devadaha learned this, they were very happy and
arranged a procession back to Kapilavastu.

Prince Siddhatta was brought up in the midst of luxury, led the
happy life of a privileged youth and married at the age of 16 to
Princess Yasodhara or Bimba who bore him a son, Rahula.

He discontened and took on the life of a wandering ascetic a
the bank of the Anoma River. He was then 29.

He studied the mystic practices of the foremost Brahmin
ascetics and realized that such practices were not the way to
enlightenment. He went on his own way applying the reflective
thought of conscious meditation to a rational simple life of
moderation.

At the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment at Uruvelasenanigama subdistrict, Magadha State,(nowadays, located in the area of Buddha Kaya, Bihar State, India), on Wednesday, the Vesak Full moon day, the year of the cock, forty five years before the Buddhist Era.

The Dhamma discovered by the Buddha was Ariyasacca or the Four Noble Truths, namely:

The Noble Truth of Suffering
The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering
The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Extinction of
Suffering

After having attained Enlightenment, the Buddha wandered from place to place teaching his discoveries to people who are accessible to instruction, helping large numbers of them achieve various levels of spiritual attainment. He sent his followers to

spread Buddhism in capitals, cities and upcountry,until Buddhism was firmly established and widely spread.

The Buddha passed away on Tuesday, the Vesak full moon day in the year of the small snake under the two Sal trees in the Sala Grove of the Mallas in Kusinara, capital of the Malla State, (nowadays located in Kusinagara of Uttrarapradesa, India) at the age of eighty (around 2545 years ago).

The performance of the rituals on Visakha Bucha day had been continuously observed in
Jambudavipa or India, the motherland of Buddhism, for a long time before Buddhism spread to Sri
Lanka and Thailand. There, the Visakha worship has been continually observed to the present day.

In Thailand, Visakha Bucha observance began during the Sukhuthai period (around 700 years ago), because of the close religious relations between Thailand and Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan monks came to propagate Buddhism in Thailand and were highly respected. Thai monks also went to study in Sri Lanka. It's believed that, those monks introduced this ceremony to the King and people at that time. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =