The 2618th Great Renunciation Day is celebrated at Tilaurakot in ancient Kapilvastu, commemorating the day when Prince Siddhartha left his palace.

It is celebrated on that day to give a glimpse of the incident of Prince Siddhartha abandoning his home for enlightenment at midnight of Asar Purnima. Commemorating the incident 2,618 years ago, the day is celebrated at 12 o’clock in the night by portraying the incident of Prince Siddhartha leaving the royal palace.

Siddharthakaji Bajracharya, a young man of the Shakya clan, became Prince Siddhartha and rode out of the eastern gate of the palace on a horse.

Before the program started, the former president of the Bhikshu Federation, Bhikshu Maitri Mahasthaveer, inaugurated the program by doing shil prarthana.

In the program organized by Buddha Circuits.com Nepal and Gachchami Media Group, Acting Ambassador of Sri Lanka Nilusa Dilmini said that since 70 percent of the people in Sri Lanka are Buddhists, they are willing to come to Nepal.

Bikram Pandey Kaji, goodwill ambassador of Lumbini Development Fund, said that such a historic and inspiring experience is rare in the world.

Lumbini Development Fund member Ram Naresh Prasad Kurmi, Fund Council member Gopikrishna Sharma and Kapilvastu Municipality Ward No. 3 Chairman Rudraprakash Gayre emphasized that Tilaurakot area should be made more beautiful and developed.