| Vessantara Festival | |
|---|---|
| Also called | Boun Pha Vet (in Laos) Medin Full Moon Poya (in Sri Lanka) Thet Mahachat (in Thailand) |
| Observed by | Thais, Lao, Sri Lankans, Cambodians and Burmese |
| Type | Buddhist |
| Significance | Commemorates the Vessantara Jataka |
| Date | Full moon day of the 12th lunar month |
The Vessantara Festival is one of the 12 monthly Buddhist festivals celebrated yearly in Theravada Buddhist pagodas in memory of Vessantara, remembered as the penultimate life of the Buddha. It is the only previous life of the Buddha which is celebrated with such importance.