Asalha Puja
/ˈɑː.sə.lə ˈpuː.dʒə/noun
A Buddhist festival commemorating the Buddha’s first sermon and the founding of the Buddhist monastic community.
Did you know?Asalha Puja commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon, traditionally said to have created the first Buddhist disciple and begun the Three Jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Āṣāḍha
“The name of a lunar month, corresponding roughly to June–July; the term is associated with the full moon of that month.”
Early Buddhist period
Pali
Āsaḷha
“The lunar month in which the Buddha’s first sermon was traditionally delivered.”
Ancient Buddhist tradition
Pali
Dhamma-cakka-pavattana
““Setting in motion the wheel of the Dhamma,” the title traditionally given to the Buddha’s first sermon.”
Medieval to modern South Asia
Sanskrit
Pūjā
“Worship, reverential offering, or ritual honoring.”
Modern English
English
Asalha Puja
“The Buddhist observance honoring the Buddha’s first sermon, usually held on the full moon of the eighth lunar month.”