Darjeeling, May 23 -- Darjeeling heaved a sigh of relief as the 2568 Buddha Jayanti (birth anniversary of Lord Buddha) was ushered in with clear blue skies and a sunny day, a sudden respite from the heavy rains and overcast skies that the hill town had been witnessing for the past few days.

The IMD had issued a warning of rain and thundershowers for the Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim. Darjeeling had witnessed 13 mm and Kalimpong 43.2mm of rain in the past 24 hours recorded at 8 am on Thursday.

However, at the time when the processions took to the streets, the weather held up with a bright and sunny day. Not only did the local residents make the best use of it, but tourists were also seen flocking to the Mall to witness the Buddha Jayanti commemorations.

With the hot spell in the plains, the Hills are witnessing a tourist rush with most of the hotels booked to capacity.

The Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association along with the Dharma Chakra Committee had organised a congregation at the Chowrasta followed by a rally through the major thoroughfares of Darjeeling.

The congregation saw a gathering of monks from various monasteries, students and people from all walks of life. It started with prayers "Sangchuyey Monlam" (Prayers for peace for all sentient beings) by the monks.

The procession which followed was a riot of colour and sound. Monks dressed in traditional clothes and different coloured hats, carrying traditional musical instruments like the conch, bell, Gyeling (wind instrument), cymbals and drums representing different Buddhist Sects carried altars with statue of Lord Buddha and important Buddhist texts called the "Pushtaks" around town.

People thronged on the streets to pay their reverence to the holy shrines and the Pushtaks (books) being carried. As elderly men and women placed Khadas (traditional silk scarves) on the altars carried on poles, children scurried under the altars as it is the popular belief in the hills that passing under an altar is a very holy gesture and brings good luck, peace and long life. "It was such a unique experience for us. Tourists should visit Darjeeling to take part in Buddha Jayanti in Darjeeling," stated Amlan Guha, a tourist from Kolkata.

Monasteries in and around town witnessed long queues from early in the morning as local residents dressed in traditional finery arrived to pay reverence and make offerings.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.