Asalha Puja: one of the three most important days of commemoration in Buddhism. It commemorates the first sermon Gautama Buddha gave to the first 5 disciples in Sarnath, India. Usually Asalha Puja falls in July. It is the day of the Dhamma, because it commemorates the day the Buddha started teaching the Dhamma (the Teaching). In Buddhist countries, it is one of the most important religious days as well as a bank holiday. Lay people give gifts to Buddhist temples or to the Sangha and sermons are delivered. The day after Asalha Puja is the start of vassa, the annual three-month rain retreat for Buddhist monks.
