Asalha
/əˈsɑː.lə/noun
A Buddhist observance marking the Buddha’s first sermon and the beginning of the traditional rainy-season retreat.
Did you know?Asalha is associated with the Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath, traditionally called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta—“Setting the Dhamma Wheel in Motion.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Āṣāḍha
“The name of a lunar month, corresponding roughly to June–July; the ultimate source of the later Buddhist term.”
Early Buddhist Period
Pali
Āsāḷha
“The Pali form of the month name, used in Buddhist calendrical and religious terminology.”
3rd Century BCE onward
Pali
Āsāḷha Pūjā
“A ceremonial observance associated with the Buddha’s first sermon and the beginning of the rains retreat.”
19th–20th Century
English
Asalha
“An English transliteration of the Pali term, especially in descriptions of Southeast Asian Buddhist observances.”
Modern English
English
Asalha
“A Buddhist holy day or festival commonly known as Asalha Puja or Dhamma Day.”
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