International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony, Bodhi Gaya, Bihar, India, 20th edition

BOGDAN FLORIN PAUL | DECEMBER 14, 2025

The 20th edition of the "International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony" was held in Bodhi Gaya from December 2 to 12, 2025.

International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony in Bodhi Gaya. Photo: Bogdan Florin Paul / Titi Tudorancea Yoga Bulletin (archive photo).

"International Tipitaka Chanting" is a ceremony that has been held every year, since 2006, in the MahaBodhi complex in Bodhi Gaya, Bihar, India, during which Buddhist monks from about 27 countries recite together the Pali sutras that make up the Tipitaka, the canon of Theravada Buddhism.

This edition, according to the organizers, was attended by over 20,000 Buddhist pilgrims and monks, who came here from over 37 countries. The number of participants was double that of the 2024 edition.

The MahaBodhi Temple marks the place where, over 2,500 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama meditated under a Bodhi tree and achieved Liberation from the cycle of rebirth and death, becoming known in human history as "Buddha Shakyamuni" or simply "The Buddha".

For Buddhists, this site in Bodhi Gaya is considered the Center of the Universe, and here, under a descendant of the ancient Bodhi tree, a number of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist ceremonies are held each year, including the recitation of Pali sutras.

In both 2025 and 2024, the "International Tipitaka Chanting" featured the recitation of sections from the Vinaya Pitaka, a section of the Tipitaka that details the rules of discipline for members of the sangha (Buddhist monastic community or communities).

Each edition is organized by a different country. The organizer of this edition was India. The monks who recited the sutras came here mainly from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and of course, from India.

In India, after gaining independence, Buddhism is growing again at a rapid pace, after it had almost disappeared in the Middle Ages due to Muslim occupation. It is estimated that there are now over 8 million Buddhists in India.

During the "International Tipitaka Chanting" in Bodhi Gaya, daily discourses on the teachings of the Buddha were also held, given by prominent members of Buddhist communities from various countries.

The speakers at this edition were:

Ajahn Kevali, a senior monk in the Thai Forest Tradition, originally from Germany, who currently serves as the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, the International Forest Monastery in Northeast Thailand established by Ajahn Chah. Ajahn Kevali was ordained in the 1990s.

Ajahn Pasanno, one of the founding abbots of Abhayagiri Monastery (USA) and now its Guiding Elder.

Ven. Asst. Prof. Dr. Walmoruwe Piyaratana Nayaka Thero, Chairman of the B.A. English Program in Buddhist Studies at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Wang Noi, Ayutthaya, Malaysia. A prolific writer, he has published over 35 works in Pali, Sinhala, and English, focusing on Buddhist philosophy and education.

Ven. Vinaya Rakkhita Mahathero, a senior Theravāda monk and the spiritual advisor of Aloka Trust, Malaysia/India.

Venerable Ananda, a senior monk of the Mahabodhi Society of Bangalore, dedicated to the revival and spread of the Buddha's teachings in India.

Ven. Chawkhun Sudhamm, Abbot of Wat Pa Bantad, a Theravada Buddhist monastery in the Udon Thani Province of Thailand.

Phramaha Keyrati Srivutthana (Dhirapanno Bhikkhu), Abbot of Wat Pa Boon Lorm, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Professor Dr. Mahesh A. Deokar, Head of the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University since 2006.

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, a prominent American Theravāda Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. Ordained in Sri Lanka in 1972, he is best known for his English translations of key Pāli Canon texts, including the Majjhima Nikāya and Saṃyutta Nikāya.

On December 13, the ceremony ended with a 14 km walk through the Jethian Valley, following a route that is believed to have been walked by the Buddha over 2,500 years ago, followed by a short closing conference at the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Rajgir.

The International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony was organized by LBDFI and ITCC.

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