Welcoming Lunar New Year, Maha Vihara Maitreya Medan Prays for World Peace

Maha Vihara Maitreya, located in the Cemara Asri complex in Medan, North Sumatra, is preparing to hold worship services on the eve of Lunar New Year 2577 Kongzili. The temple has adopted the theme “Prayer for World Peace” for its 2026 Lunar New Year celebrations.

Temple administrator Dicky explained that the New Year’s Eve transition would be marked by communal worship and candle offerings. Visitors are also invited to write prayer cards containing their hopes for the future.

“We are inviting visitors who come, especially for today, tomorrow, and the first, second and third days of Lunar New Year, which we are dedicating first to Buddhist worshippers,” said Dicky on Monday (16 February), as quoted by detikSumut.

The theme for the 2026 Lunar New Year celebration at the temple is the same as last year’s. Dicky said the theme invites Buddhists to pray for better conditions in the world.

“We then invite everyone for communal prayer. If you look over there, you can see a prayer board. Our special theme is prayer for world peace. We invite our friends to write their hopes for the future, and then we place them on the prayer board,” said Dicky.

Maha Vihara Maitreya has completed preparations for the worship services and Lunar New Year celebrations. Thousands of lanterns in pink, yellow, red, blue and green adorn the temple terrace.

In the centre, there is a horse decoration symbolising the Year of the Fire Horse, alongside the number 2026. A steady stream of Buddhist worshippers have been arriving to pray.

Dicky expressed his hope that through this year’s theme of “Prayer for World Peace,” all worshippers in attendance would come together to pray for world peace.

“Our theme follows last year’s — prayer for world peace. The meaning is to invite Buddhists who come to pray for a better world. More harmonious, more peaceful. Because if we look at the world today, things are not well,” said Dicky.