KUALA LUMPUR: The hoisting of a Buddhist flag infront of Wisma Dharma Cakra marked the start of the Wesak Day festivities at Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields here.
The ceremony was witnessed by Buddhist chief high priest of Malaysia Ven Datuk K. Sri Dhammaratana, Sri Lanka High Commissioner Ibrahim Ansar and more than 100 devotees who had come to the 120-year-old temple at the break of dawn.
Jalan Berhala, the road that leads to the house of worship, has been closed to traffic to make way for stalls selling offerings such as flowers and candles.
Wesak Day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing of Buddha.
The festivities will culminate tonight with a 20km procession through the city centre featuring close to 30 floats built by various Buddhist temples in the Klang Valley.