Ceylon & Sri Lanka Stamps Banknotes Coins, Vesak (11)

Collection of Banknotes, Stamps and Coins for Sri Lanka (& Ceylon before 1972). Collectors items related to Vesak. Vesak (Sinhalese) is an annual holiday observed by practicing Buddhists. The word Vesak itself is the Sinhalese language word for the Pali variation, 'Visakha'. Vaishakha is the name of the second month of the lunar Hindu calendar. Vesak is a public holiday in many Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and also Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The exact date of Vesak varies according to the various lunar calendars used in different traditions. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on the full moon Poya day (typically the 5th or 6th lunar month). The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar but falls in April or May. It actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment Nirvana, and passing (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha. In Sri Lanka, stamps are issued every year for Vesak or Wesak as it is known.