A grand Buddhist ceremony will be held for the first time at the Culture Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in Son Tay town on the outskirts of Ha Noi. — Photo langvietonline

HA NOI  (VNS) — A grand Buddhist ceremony will be held for the first time at the Culture Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in Son Tay town on the outskirts of Ha Noi.

The annual Kathina festival, which originated about 2,500 years ago, is one of the biggest and most important Buddhist ceremonies. The festival will take place today and tomorrow at the Khmer Pagoda Complex, about 35km from the city centre.

The festival features a number of significant rituals, including the presentation of cloth offerings to the monks and a ceremony for taking refuge in the Buddha. Participants will also pray for peace and happiness.

As many as 1,000 delegates including Buddhists, non-Buddhists, ambassadors of ASEAN member countries and Lao and Cambodian students studying in Viet Nam are expected to attend the event.

The event aims to reinforce the solidarity of monks and nuns from different sects and ethnic groups, in addition to promoting cultural exchange and friendship within the ASEAN community and introducing Viet Nam's Buddhist religious culture and life to the world. — VNS