Heranth Herak, a non-resident Sri Lankan citizen doing business in Australia, was very happy to step into the courtyard of Lumbini. “When I came to Lumbini two years ago, I had resolved to make a difficult donation,” he said. “This year, I am fortunate to have fulfilled my plan and touched the soil of Lumbini.”

He woke up before 5 am, took a bath, and put on clean and pure clothes. He performed a special puja at the Mayadevi Temple and donated the turban to the monks at the Navamaitri Mahavihara. He said that he had accumulated great religious merit by coming to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, where the tooth of Lord Buddha is kept, from Sri Lanka and paying homage to him.

‘I have gained great energy of peace by participating in the turban donation, an important festival for Buddhists,’ he said. Like him, Rabindi Herat, who was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and has been living in Australia, also said that she was happy to accumulate the energy of peace by donating the turban in Lumbini. ‘It has instilled great compassion and friendship,’ she said. ‘I have gained great merit by donating the turban, which is a must-do once in a lifetime, at a young age.’

Like them, 15 devotees, including 8 non-resident Sri Lankans living in Australia and 7 from various parts of Sri Lanka, have come to Lumbini to donate alms. They have come here from Sri Lanka and Australia for the Khithi Chibar Dan Utsav, an important festival of Buddhists celebrated after the three-month rainy season. Like them, 47 people from various parts of Sri Lanka had donated Khithi Chibar to the Lumbini branch of the Mahabodhi Society of India last week. More than a hundred people from Sri Lanka came to various monasteries and donated Khithi Chibar. _{Sri Lankan devotees donate Khithi Chibar at the Navamaitri Mahavihara in Lumbini.}

Monks live under strict discipline and rules for 3 months. They meditate and recite the Paritran in the evening and morning. They go to nearby villages and beg for alms and break their fast in the morning. They themselves go around begging. At that time, they worship the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the Dharma. They bless the locals.

They complete the three-month rainy season by following the rules and regulations of the monks (binaya karma) with great difficulty. The robe is donated within a month of the rainy season. That is why it is called a difficult donation. The monks were instructed by the Buddha to meditate and preach in groups during the rainy season, not alone, and to practice meditation and meditation. Bhikshuni Khamesi Guruma said that the difficult robe donation was started as a festival after they came out of the difficult work.

The difficult robe donation lasts for two days. On the first day, the Mahaparitra is recited in the evening at the Mayadevi Temple and monastery. From 6 pm to 9/10 pm, Nepali, Sri Lankan, Myanmar, Japanese, and Thai monks recited the Mahaparitra at the Mayadevi Temple. The next morning, the devotees put the hard cloth brought from Sri Lanka in a sacred box and take it to the Mayadevi Temple to worship it. The sacred eight metals were taken to the Mayadevi Temple and worshiped. _{Sri Lankan devotees donating the hard cloth at the Navamaitri Mahavihara in Lumbini.}

The Ashoka Pillar and archaeological ruins in the temple premises were decorated with flower garlands from all sides. On both days, the devotees take out a procession and worship at the Mayadevi Temple and Pushkarani Pond with musical instruments. When the procession was taken out, both teams arrived playing the Kandyan instruments brought from Sri Lanka.

‘Like the Panche Baja of Nepal, the Kandyan Baja is considered sacred in Sri Lanka,’ said Bhikkhu Maitri Mahasthavir, former president of the All Nepal Monks Federation, ‘That is why the worshippers brought the Baja from Sri Lanka to play at the Buddha’s place. This instrument is considered very important and a symbol of faith during the religious work of Buddhists. That is why it is very popular in Sri Lanka. It is everyone’s favorite. _{Sri Lankan worshippers go with the monks to donate the difficult robe and perform the puja at the Mayadevi Temple in Lumbini.}

On the second day, in the morning, the procession returned from the Mayadevi Temple and reached the Vihar Temple and performed the difficult puja. The monks conferred the precepts. They took the sermon. After this, the monks who were staying in the rain donated the yellow robe (chibar) and alms bowl. The worshipper donated the robe brought from Sri Lanka. The eight items were donated. The yellow robe (robes) and the alms bowl worn by the monk are called a robe. The eight items include a hair and beard trimmer, inner and outer clothing, needle and thread, and umbrella. After the robe donation, food was donated to the monk. The donated robe is given to the monks' association. The association decides and provides robes and alms bowls to monks who have been in a regular and disciplined 3-month retreat. A monk must follow 227 precepts while in a retreat. If the monks' association gives a robe to a monk who has been in a retreat, he will be exempted from following 5 precepts for 5 months, said Siri Bazir, associate professor at Lumbini Buddhist University. ‘The Varshavas, which is considered important in Buddhism, has just been completed.

A devotee donates a difficult robe at the Mahabodhi Society Vihara in Lumbini. _{The three months from Asar to Asoj Purnima are called Varshavas,’ he said. ‘After that, the robe should be donated within one month of Kartik Purnima.’ So far, the Royal Thai Monastery, Mahabodhi Society, Maitri Vihara, Navamaitri Vihara, Nepal Theravada Vihara, Myanmar Golden Temple, Rajkiya Bouddha Vihara, Sri Lankan Mahavihara and the Panditarama Meditation Center in Lumbini have donated difficult robes. Shakyamuni and Mahinda Vihara are donating robes on Monday and Tuesday.}

The green plains, the large stupa overlooking the circular land, the neat footpaths and the colorful flags fluttering in the gentle breeze, said Sri Lankan devotee Basna Walpitt.

A Sri Lankan devotee with a monk returning from donating and worshipping the turban at the Mayadevi Temple in Lumbini. _{The Sri Lankan director working at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu said, "There is deep faith and belief in Lord Gautam Buddha, and on top of that, there is a belief that people will fulfill their wishes by donating the turban. Nepal is the land that gave birth to the Buddha, the inspirer of peace, due to which Nepal and Nepalis have become the pride of the world." It is believed that both the monk and the devotee who spend the rainy season in donating the turban will gain merit.}