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(The Month Of Kasoon-Waterpouring Festival)

One day a Hindu Sage, who had some influence in the Kushinagar area, approached Saradawgree Ashin U Chandramani and suggested conducting a Buddha Day (Wasak} Ceremony on the full moon day of the month of Kasoon by pouring holy water on the Bodhi Tree which Saradawgree had planted sometime ago. Saradawgree thought this was a good idea but was afraid it might start another crisis; the Sage replied that Saradawgree need not worry since he, the Sage, would see to it that there would be no such trouble. After some thought Saradawgree accepted his offer and then proceeded to draw up detailed arrangements with the aid of his resident monks. A Notice was posted all over the country, as follows:

Kushinagar Wasak Water Pouring Celebration

• A Wasak water pouring festival will take place from Burmese era full moon day of Kasoon till the full moon day of Nayoon for a full month;
• All Buddhist monks in India are invited to participate;
• The bronze Buddha statue on the upper floor of the Sima-hall, Kushinagar Temple, will be polished and brightened and placed upon a train decorated with flowers;
• The train will be drawn by two or three elephants and also by worshippers from the Sima-hall to Kasiya Town and placed at the Primary School so that it can be seen and worshipped;
• The train decorated with flowers will return to the Kushinagar Temple at 8 o'clock in the evening;
• On the full moon day of Kasoon, holy water will be poured on to the Bodhi Tree; the water pouring celebration will go on for a whole month."

The same Notice and invitation were also posted to Government Ministers, and city and district dignitaries.
Nearer to the time of the celebration, many market stalls selling food and other goods were springing up at the specified places; vast crowds were appearing inside and outside the Temple grounds. Either realising the true situation or because of the Sage's influence over them, the stubborn protesters who were previously against Saradawgree were then coming in to help to make sure the celebration was a success. Saradawgree blessed them all. Saradawgree then sent an application to the Daewariya District Officer to secure a permit for the celebration.

The permit was refused as an epidemic of cholera had broken out in some districts. The ever-enlarging crowd then became agitated and unhappy on hearing the bad news. They nevertheless wanted to go ahead with the celebration. Meanwhile, Saradawgree met with the concerned official who explained that it was not a case of not issuing the permit, but it was a question of not taking any risk with the epidemic.

Saradawgree asked if cholera was breaking out in the Daewariya District. The District Officer said that this was not the case but there were outbreaks in other areas: Saradawgree then argued that while the epidemic was going on in other areas, it had nothing to do with Daewariya. The arrangements made for the celebration were to take place only in Daewariya and they had reached an advanced stage, and the crowd was getting more and more enthusiastic; therefore the Officer should issue the permit. The Officer then said in that situation he alone could not decide and he had to seek advice from a higher authority.

Saradawgree urged him to act quickly and requested him to consider the prevailing situation. It could cause great disturbance amongst the people, religion wise, and an uncontrollable crisis could arise if a permit were not issued. By then the crowd was becoming more and more uneasy. Taking the current situation into account, the District Officer had no choice but to issue the permit. The Department of Health concerned with the epidemic also actively participated in the celebration and was ready to give emergency treatment if required. The District Officer's decision to issue the permit made the crowd overwhelmingly happy and the celebration proceeded as scheduled from the full moon day of Kasoon 1286 till the full moon day of Nayoon for a full month. Even when the full month's celebration was over, the stalls and the crowds were still there and the police had to come and dismantle the market stalls. If the police had not dismantled the stalls, people might still be there. This Kasoonwater pouring festival at Kushinagar became one of the largest religiously organised festivals in the whole of India.