Buddhists to mark Waisak

SEMARANG: About 15,000 Buddhists from around the country are expected to congregate at the famed Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java to mark Waisak holiday on Monday.

"We want to pray for the nation so that the political and security crises will soon be over," chairman of the Waisak commemoration committee Hery Purnomo told reporters in Semarang, the capital city of Central Java province, on Wednesday.

The Borobudur temple is located some 75 kilometers south of here.

A day before the devotees gather at Borobudur, they will gather at Temanggung, a smaller Buddhist temple in Mendut, to receive blessed water. A purification ceremony will be held in Mendut, which is about three kilometers from Borobudur.

To mark the Buddhist holy day, the organizing committee of the celebrations will also hold social activities such as offering free cataract and harelip surgeries. (har)