On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended greetings to the nation and the followers of Lord Buddha around the world.
"I extend my wishes to all on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. Today, the situation is such that I cannot participate in Buddha Purnima programmes physically. It would have been my pleasure to be with you all in the celebrations, but circumstances prevailing today do not permit us," the Prime Minister said in his address.
"It is my good fortune that I have got the opportunity to take your blessings. In 2015, 2018 in Delhi and in 2017 in Colombo, I had the chance of joining this event and being amongst you," he said.
Praising Lord Buddha, the Prime Minister used one of his sayings to state that the lack of physical interaction on this occasion would not be a hindrance to the enthusiasm surrounding the day.
"Lord Buddha had said - the mind is the basis of Dhamma, the mind is Supreme, the mind is at the forefront of all tendencies. That's why since our minds are connected, we don't feel the lack of physical presence much," the Prime Minister said.
The festival of Buddha Purnima is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Siddhartha Gautama , who later became Gautam Buddha.
( With inputs from ANI )