National Assembly MP Anjan Shakya has said that 'Buddha Jayanthi' should be celebrated on the basis of Buddha's date of birth.

While speaking in Parliament on Sunday, MP Shakya disagreed with the fact that Buddha Jayanti is being held this year as well, and claimed that Buddha Samvat is not Gautama Buddha's birth date. Some say that Buddha's birth date is B.C. They are celebrating the coming day of Baisakh 29 as the 2649th Buddha Jayanti,' she said, "Some people are celebrating the date of Gautama Buddha's Mahaparinirvana (deceased) on Baisakh 29 as the 2569th Buddha Jayanti." 2569 means Buddha Samvat. Based on the date of Buddha Mahaparinirvana, the Buddha Samvat began from that day. Buddha Samvat New Year 2569 begins on Baisakh 29.' 

She claimed that Buddha Samvat is not the birth date of Gautama Buddha. She added, "Some people celebrate Baisakh Purnima only as Trisanyoga Day, ignoring Buddha's birth date or Mahaparinirvana date." This practice overshadows the importance of Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha.' She mentioned that it is ironic for Nepal to celebrate Buddha Jayanti differently in the country where Buddha was born. Gautama Buddha was born 2649 years ago in Lumbini. He attained enlightenment at the age of 35 in Bodh Gaya 2,614 years ago and in Kushinagar 2,569 years ago i.e. when Gautama Buddha was 80 years old, he passed away forever in Mahaparinirvana i.e. no longer having to go through the cycle of birth and death again,' Shakya said. That's why Buddhists celebrate this day as Trisanyoga Day.' She emphasized that this year's Buddha Jayanti should be celebrated as the 2649th Buddha Jayanti as it will be 2649 years since the birth of Buddha on 29th Baisakh.