LONDON, 11 October 2025 – The Ambedkar International Mission (AIM) celebrated the annual Kathina festival with great devotion at its Indian Buddhist Cultural Centre in East London. The event was blessed by an assembly of the Bhikkhu Maha Sangha and attended by a diverse gathering of Indian, Sri Lankan, and indigenous Buddhist laity.
The Kathina festival is a crucial event in the Buddhist calendar, marking the end of Vassan Reetu, the three-month rainy season retreat. During this period, monks observe strict discipline, intensify their meditation practice, and teach the Buddha Dhamma. The festival centres on a special robe-offering ceremony, allowing lay Buddhists to express their gratitude to the
monastic community by providing new robes and other necessities for the coming year.
The ceremony was presided over by the Patron and Chairman of the Mission, the Most Venerable Dr Siri Sumana, who formally marked the end of his rainy retreat. The event was further blessed by the presence and Buddhist sermons of several distinguished monastics, including Venerable Hemaratna, Head of Ilford Buddha Vihara; Professor Nuelue Sumanawansa from the Pali and Buddhist University in Colombo, Sri Lanka; Venerable Vajrayana; Venerable Mahanama, Assistant Head of the Sri Sambudhi Foundation, London; and Venerable Seela Dassna of the Forest Meditation Monastery.
The honour of offering the sacred Kathina Cheevar (robe) was undertaken by several families, namely Mr. Madhurang and Mrs. Iresha, Mr. Chaturanga and Mrs. Ashanka, Mr. Sagra and Mrs. Shamila, and Mr. Mulu and Mrs. Gimhani. They were joined by many other Upasakas and Upasikas (lay devotees) who also made generous dana offerings. The event was successfully organised by Mr. Sat Pal Muman, Secretary of the Mission, with the support of the local Buddhist community.
For Buddhists living abroad, particularly those from India, the land of the Buddha’s birth, the festival is a powerful way to keep a historic tradition alive, despite the absence of a clear rainy season in their new homes. It serves as a vibrant expression of faith and culture.
The festival powerfully promotes the Buddhist principles of generosity (dana) and the accumulation of good deeds (Kusala Kamma). It is viewed as a means for the laity to accumulate positive kamma and cultivate a spirit of giving. The occasion brought the Bhikkhu Sangha and lay communities together in a shared spirit of dana and harmony, strengthening the bonds within the community.
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