Dozens of Nuns from 11 Countries Commemorate International Women's Day at Borobudur Temple

A total of 80 nuns from 11 countries held a prayer service at Borobudur Temple, Magelang, Central Java, Friday (7/3/2025). This prayer service was held to commemorate International Women's Day and to pray for world peace.

The ritual takes place from the Main Marga where they walk while humming mantras towards the main mandala. The congregation welcomes the group of nuns by throwing flower petals at the nuns' feet. After that, they climb the Borobudur Temple courtyard and go straight to the top of the temple to perform worship. 

"These nuns are meditation masters and practitioners in the Buddhist Dhamma religion. Before they climb the temple to pay their respects to the Buddha, we want to give a symbol of respect to the teachers," explained Fatmawati who represented the Chairperson of the Indonesian Buddhist Representative (Walubi), Siti Hartati Murdaya. 

At the top of Borobudur Temple, the nuns performed devotional worship followed by three rounds of circumambulation before descending the temple. Accompanied by the drizzle of rain, the nuns prayed and worshipped solemnly.

This series of processions was carried out to commemorate International Women's Day which is celebrated every March 8 throughout the world. The nuns came from 11 countries, including Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Singapore, India, Nepal and Thailand.

"We, Buddhists in Indonesia, are very happy to welcome nuns in the women's award event from 11 countries. This is their role as women who contribute to the development of Buddhism in their respective countries and to women's empowerment," explained Fatmawati.

In addition to worship at Borobudur Temple, another activity is the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Awards (OWBA) 2025. The award was given to 22 women who have rendered services and made significant contributions to Buddhism and women in various countries.

This award is a form of appreciation for their dedication in various fields, including education, social, and culture, which are in line with the values ​​of wisdom and compassion in Buddhist teachings.