Meak Bochea, Magha Puja

Magha Puja [or Sangha Day] is a major Buddhist festival occurring usually in May commemorating the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Buddha.

In Theravada Buddhism tradition (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka), Meak Bochea is celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month (Meak), the second most important festival after Vesak, which marks the start of the monsoon season retreat. It celebrates the spontaneous gathering between the Buddha and 1,250 of his first disciples (Arahants), preceding the custom of periodic recitation of the 227 rules of monastic discipline, Pāṭimokkha.

It Northern India and Nepal, it is associated with Jestha Purnima, one of the traditional festivals of the Magars, a native Tibeto-Burman ethnic group.