Prince Siddharth born around 543 BC is believed to have lived a very sheltered life till the age of 29 under his father's instructions and was kept completely ignorant of the tragedies of everyday life. Once he persuaded one of his charioteers to take him out of the palace walls to the outside world and was shocked to the harsh realities of life when he viewed an old man, a sick and disabled person and a dead body for the first time in his life. The fourth vision was of an ascetic who looked at peace with himself, which led Siddharth to search for the true meaning of life, renounce the luxury and worldly pleasures and look for enlightenment. He wandered to many places and ultimately attained attainment in Bodhgaya under a 'pipal' tree. Since then he was known as Gautam Buddha or the 'Enlightened One'.

It is said that it was on Buddha Poornima, the full moon night in Vaisakha (according to the Hindu calendar that usually falls in April or May), Lord Buddha was born. He was the founder of the Buddhist religion and is said to be the ninth avatar of Vishnu. It was on Buddha Poornima that he attained enlightenment and ultimately after preaching the five principles of life and the path of eight-fold truth for long, he attained 'Nirvana' or left the mortal world on this day itself. Thus, Buddha Jayanti celebrates the three most important events in Gautam Buddha's life. Pilgrims from all over the world come to Bodh Gaya in India to participate in the Buddha Poornima celebrations that highlight prayer meets, sermons and religious discourses, recitation of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation, processions and worship of the statue of Buddha.