Batam, May 12 -- The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Temple in Batam city, Riau Islands province, hosted a bazaar featuring a variety of vegetarian dishes as part of this year's Vesak Day celebrations.

Leader of the Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Foundation, Pandita Liyas Masri, said that the temple has been holding the bazaar every year to mark the Buddhist sacred day since 2000.

"This bazaar runs only on the D-Day of Vesak. There are 40 booths offering various Indonesian meals and drinks. We involve cooks from Riau Islands and Singapore," he disclosed in Batam on Monday.

Masri further said that none of the foods and beverages, priced between Rp10 thousand (US$0.60) and Rp30 thousand (US$1.80), sold at this year's bazaar contained animal ingredi...