Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia
2024 Kathina robe offering ceremony dates
List of Temples or Societies (Malaysia) holding Kathina in 2024
Kathina robe offering ceremony 2023
List of Temples or Societies (Malaysia) holding Kathina in 2023
Kathina ceremony (Robes offering)
“Kathina” in Pali refers to the wooden frame which monks in ancient India used to sew their clothes on. The clothes thus prepared came to be known as Kathina clothes. On the Kathina frame the cloth could be stretched for cutting or sewing. Such a device was an aid to unskilled monks who made their robes from cast-off scraps of cloth which they cut with a knife.
Vassa, Pavarana and Kathina
The Vassa, a three-month rains retreat, was instituted by the Buddha himself and was made obligatory for all fully ordained bhikkhus; the details are laid down in the Mahavagga of the Vinaya Pitaka (3rd and 4th chapters). The retreat extends over a period corresponding to the North Indian rainy season, from the day following the full moon of July until the full-moon day of October; those who cannot enter the regular Vassa are permitted to observe the retreat for three months beginning with the day following the August full moon. From the time Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka by the Arahant Mahinda, the observance of Vassa -- Vas in Sinhala -- has been one of the mainstays of monastic life on the island. During the Vas the monks are expected to dwell permanently in their temples and suspend all travelling. If unavoidable circumstances necessitate travelling, they are allowed to leave their residences on the promise that they will return within a week (sattahakaraniya). On the first day of the retreat, the monks have to formally declare that they will dwell in that manner in the selected monastery or dwelling.