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Buddha's Birthday

This year marked the 2545 year since the Buddha's birth.  In Korea the Buddha's Birthday is a national holiday, and one of my favorite days to go take photos.  The only problem is to choose which temple to visit!  This year I chose to go to Donghwasa, the largest temple in the Daegu area.  I know a half dozen of the monks there, and more by sight, so I rightly anticipated good photo opportunities.  I took the first bus of the morning, arriving as the mist curled around the mountains trying to hide from the rays of the sun.  There were few others there, except the volunteers and the monks.  Every one was in full preparation mode.  First I took photos of monks and lay people hanging lanterns.  Believers wrote their names and perhaps a wish or two for the new year on a slip of paper, which is attached to the lanterns.  Many had already prepared papers but during the day as more people arrived, more and more names went up.  

At 11:00 preparations were complete and the ceremony commenced.  All of the monks not busily preparing for later events in the day put on their brown ceremonial robe covering and sat on one side of a central aisle, dignitaries had chairs on the other side.  Around to both sides and behind, mostly on mats on the ground sat a large crowd of believers.  Various addresses were made, the crowd prayed together at times, watched as a procession of white hanbok gowned and elaborately coiffed women carried offerings to place before the Buddha image in the main prayer hall, clapped at inspirational words, and listened as a choir of pink hanbok clad women serenaded the gathering.  The ceremony disbanded about an hour later.  

Most of the believers found a place to prostrate themselves repeatedly (108 times is good, but 1,008 is better!), poured water with a prayer over a statue of the baby Buddha and a long line snaked across the grounds to the cafeteria where everyone was served plain temple food (for free).  I bumped around with the HORDES of photographers who were there, chatted with monk friends, and generally tried to get THE definitive photo of the day.

Though many events were planned for early evening, a drizzle caused them to be cancelled, and so my night photos consist only of shots showing the brightly lit lanterns.

Me and a monk friend who was visiting Donghwasa for the morning

Buddha's Birthday  Buddha's Birthday in B and W   Buddha's Birthday in Color   Korea  Home

all photos copyright Cedar Bough Photography no copying without permission of the photographer