IPOH, May 5 — Annual visitors to the Enlightened Heart Buddhist Temple at Tambun for the sunning of the temple’s thangka (Buddhist artwork) on Wesak Day will be disappointed this year as the ceremony has been postponed due to the movement control order (MCO).
Built in 1975, the temple, which is a destination for many devotees during Wesak Day and the annual Medicine Buddha Puja which falls in November, has been closed since the enforcement of the MCO on March 18, according to temple vice-chairman Wong Swee Seng.
“We have no choice but to postpone sunning the 60m long and 12m wide canvas painting of Sakyamuni Buddha due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” he told Malay Mail when contacted today.
“We have to be careful as it involves public health,” he added, noting that this was the first time the temple was doing away with the ceremony since it first started the event 15 years ago.
Every year on Wesak Day, the sunning of the thangka is held at noon where devotees would carry the canvas into an open space to symbolise seeking world peace, enlightenment, merits and wisdom.
After being laid out for about 30 minutes to “draw the sun's power,” the canvas is lifted up by devotees and they would run under it as a form of receiving blessings from Buddha.
Wong said the 45-year-old temple records about 5,000 visitors annually on Wesak Day.
“Every year, we have at least 20 busloads of outstation devotees especially from Kuala Lumpur visiting us.”
The postponement of the temple's Wesak Day celebration meanwhile has affected it financially.
Aside from witnessing the sunning ceremony, devotees would also seek blessings at the temple.
“The temple collects donations from devotees during blessing ceremonies and the funds are used to operate the temple.
“With the postponement of the blessing ceremonies, the temple's finances will be tight.”
The temple spends about RM2,000 weekly on its five workers' salaries.
Following the postponement of the sunning ceremony this year, Wong said the temple was only putting up lanterns to bless devotees in conjunction with Wesak Day which will be celebrated on Thursday.
“The lighting up of lanterns is done three times a year, that is during Chinese New Year, Wesak Day and during the lunar month of September to celebrate the setting up of the temple.”
