SEOUL, May 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Ahead of Buddha’s birthday, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s chief temple, Jogyesa (Jogye Temple), began a Buddhist ritual today known as the “gwanbul” ceremony to bathe the Baby Buddha.
The ceremony, held near Jogyesa Temple’s Daeungjeon Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, featured a floral arrangement representing Lumbini Garden, Siddhartha’s birthplace, and a statue of the Baby Buddha placed in the center. Jihyun, the head monk of Jogyesa Temple, poured scented water over the statue.
Daeungjeon Hall is a large wooden structure located at the center of Jogyesa Temple. It was first built in 1395 during the Joseon Dynasty.
Boy monks (Dongja-seung) who had their heads shaved on May 9 and are currently undergoing a three-week “children becoming Buddhist monks” ceremony also attended the ceremony.
The ceremony will be open to Buddhists and visitors to Jogyesa Temple from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Buddha’s birthday on the 27th of May.
Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
