Members of London’s flourishing Bangladeshi Buddhist community gathered in Jetaban Bihar London (Bodhigyan Meditation & Cultural Centre UK) on Sunday to celebrate the Vesak festival, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and passing on (mahaparinibbana) of Shakyamuni Buddha.
The community is also set to celebrate Vesak on a larger scale on 14 June, with monks from Bangladesh together with UK-based monks hailing from various countries, Buddhist scholars, and distinguished guests expected to participate.
“Vesak, also known as Buddha Purnima in Bangladesh, is one of the biggest events in the Buddhist calendar, celebrated through religious and cultural activities,” said the abbot of Jetaban Bihar, Venerable Shasanakirti H. Mahipal Mahathero. “Since this event is celebrated in London, where our Bangladeshi Buddhist community is quite small, we always try to incorporate cultural elements along with our religious activities, which we plan to do on 14 June.”
The Vesak celebration at Jetaban Bihar featured a variety of religious activities, including offerings to the Buddha, and practitioners undertaking Five Precepts, and some observing Eight Precepts. Other activities included an alms round, meditation session, Dhamma talk, and birthday celebrations for young children whose birthdays fall in April and May. These activities highlighted the spiritual and cultural richness of the Bangladeshi Buddhist community.
Located in Rainham, East London, Jetaban Bihar was established in 2023 as one of the first Bangladeshi Buddhist temples in the UK, and is dedicated to promoting the Buddhist teachings, meditation practices, and preserving Bangladeshi Buddhist cultural heritage.
“Our temple is a vibrant and dynamic space for practice, where daily morning prayers, meditation sessions, and community gatherings blend the Buddha’s timeless teachings with contemporary life” said Ven. Mahipal.
Ven. Mahipal, a Bangladeshi monk who trained in Buddhism in Thailand, has become a strong member of the Dhammakaya Foundation. He has built a robust network between the Dhammakaya Foundation and the Bangladeshi Buddhist community, particularly with Bangladeshi monastic organizations.
Out of his compassionate concern for the Bangladeshi Buddhist community, he took the initiative to establish the temple. Before his arrival, Bangladeshi Buddhists primarily attended Sri Lankan temples or occasionally invited monks from Bangladesh to celebrate events such as Vesak.
“We are very happy that we could establish a temple where members of our community, particularly our younger generation, can come together and become familiar with Buddhist practices and our own culture,” said the assistant general secretary of Jetaban Bihar London’s Management Committee Ananda Singha.
The temple also reflects the pluralism of Buddhist culture, with many participants wearing white during the religious events in accordance with the Dhammakaya tradition, which is largely promoted by Ven. Mahipal.
While there is no precise year marking the first migration of Bangladeshi Buddhists to the UK, particularly London, it is believed that during the British colonial period in India, many Buddhists employed as cooks for British Indian officials later settled in London. During the partition of India in 1947, many Buddhists also migrated to London and neighboring mainland Europe. Subsequently, many Bangladeshi Buddhists in the European Union relocated to London.
Another Buddhist temple, Bangladesh Buddha Vihara, in Romford, East London, has since been established by Bangladeshi Buddhists.
As the Bangladeshi Buddhist community in London grows, their lively Vesak celebrations stand as a testament to their resilience and commitment to maintaining their cultural and spiritual identity in a vibrant Western metropolis.
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Jetaban Bihar London Facebook
Bangladesh Buddhist Temple in London, UK Facebook
Buddha Vihara and Meditation Centre, UK Facebook
Jetaban Bihar London (Bodhigyan Meditation & Cultural Centre UK) (Jetaban Vihar London)
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