Today is the Descending Day of Lord Buddha, a public holiday in Bhutan and the Indian state of Sikkim. Also known as Lhabab Duchen is observed on the 22nd day of the ninth lunar month. The day marks the return of Lord Buddha to earth from the heavenly realm after three months of teaching.
On the sacred day of Lhabab Duchen, followers of Buddhism throng to monasteries to light butter lamps, burn incense and offer special prayers to Lord Buddha.
Monks and lamas spend the day reading the holy scriptures and purifying the air with their chanting of mantras.
An important highlight of this holy festival is marked by placing freshly painted ladders on the rocks by the monasteries to symbolize holy descent of Buddha from Trayastrimsa (The Heaven of Thirty Three).
SIGNZZZZZZ
Today is the birthday, in 1950, of American musician and actor Steven Van Zandt, (Little Steven or Miami Steve), guitarist with South Side Johnny, then Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul. Created music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid as an action against the Sun City resort in South Africa, Springsteen, U2, Bob Dylan and Run DMC, collaborated on ‘Sun City’. He starred as Silvio Dante in the TV Series The Sopranos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBTL4IwOTaU
