The ceremony will be held from December 2 to December 13, 2025 at the Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi Mahavihar premises in Bihar.
Mumbai: This year’s December brings a historic moment for India. Because this year, India is hosting the 20th International Tripitaka Chanting Festival for the first time. This festival will be held from December 2 to December 13, 2025 at the Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi Mahavihar premises in Bihar. Thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns, and devotees from all over the world will come for this event, the International Tripitaka Chanting Council informed in a press conference.
What is the Tripitaka Chanting Ceremony? : “Tripitaka” means the teachings given by Lord Buddha! Which consists of three parts: Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka. These teachings are recited together and performed every two years in different countries. This tradition started in 2006 and so far this ceremony has been held in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and the United States. This year, India, the birthplace of Buddhism, has been given the host status for the first time.
Followers from 27 countries will participate: “Around 25,000 people from 27 countries will participate in this program, out of which 20,000 will be from India and 5,000 from abroad. Around 10,000 devotees and 500 volunteers from Maharashtra alone will go to Bodh Gaya. The participating countries include Japan, Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Vietnam, America, France, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Bangladesh and Indonesia. All will recite the Tripitaka in their own mother tongue, but their aim is peace, compassion and unity in the world,” said Bhante Sanghsena, president of the International Tripitaka Chanting Council.
The ceremony will begin under the Bodhi tree: “On December 2 at 8 am, a grand parikrama will be performed with the flags of Buddhist nations around the world. After that, the recitation will begin on a stage prepared in an area of 30,000 square feet at the Kalachakra ground near the Mahabodhi Mahavihara. This year, the recitation of the Chullavagg Pali and Parivar Pali sections of the ‘Vinaya Pitaka’ will be held in this ceremony. This Pitaka teaches discipline, rules and restraint,” informed Bhante Sanghsena.
Donation of golden Buddha statues: 220 golden Buddha statues made in Odisha will be donated to various monasteries during this ceremony. These idols are handmade and each idol is a symbol of faith and devotion. Also, devotees from Thailand and Vietnam will decorate the Mahabodhi area with flowers, the International Tripitaka Chanting Council said in a press conference.
Cultural and intellectual programs: “Every day, there will be discourses by various Buddhist gurus, question-and-answer sessions, art exhibitions, and cultural performances by artists from India and abroad under the Bodhi tree. The modern interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings will be presented through art galleries, Dhamma exhibitions, and cultural exchanges,” said Bhante Vinay, secretary of the International Tripitaka Chanting Council.
Concluding and Historical Walk: On the concluding day, December 13, a ‘Heritage Walk’ will be organized and this walk will take place on the ancient route from Jethian to Rajgir. More than 1,000 monks will participate in this walk and this walk will be a beautiful confluence of faith and culture.
Boosting the local economy: “This festival will greatly increase tourism in Bodh Gaya and the surrounding areas. Hotels, shops, transport and the tourism business will benefit by about Rs 25 crore. Local employment will also increase as thousands of people will come by chartered flights and special trains,” predicted Agradhamma, vice-president of the International Tripitaka Chanting Council.
The rebirth of ‘Dhammadhvani’: “The main objective behind this program is to re-establish the path of peace, compassion and dialogue,” says Wangmo Dixi, the head of the program. “The resounding of the Dhamma in the homeland of Buddhism is not just a religious ceremony, but a moment that gives a message of unity and peace to the world,” says Wangmo Dixi. Also, “This Buddha’s words uttered under the Bodhi tree are a ‘mantra of peace’ for the world. Which will once again reach the entire world from India. The 20th International Tripitaka Chanting Festival is not just a religious program, but it will become the Bodh Gaya Ghosh of unity of humanity, exchange of cultures and world peace,” says Bhikkhunī Ayya Dhammadina, Treasurer of the International Tripitaka Chanting Council.
