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In pictures: Myanmar’s lighting festival

Colourful three-day event celebrates the anniversary of Buddha’s descent to Earth.

A young girl places an incense stick in the base of a Buddha statue located in the bed of a pickup truck during the Thadingyut lighting festival in downtown Yangon, Myanmar.
By Andre Malerba
Published On 21 Oct 2013

Yangon, Myanmar – The golden light streams through billowing, white clouds, indicating that Myanmar’s rainy season is finally over. Thousands of people from Myanmar and abroad flock to pagodas around Yangon for the country’s Lighting Festival, a three-day event that occurs on the full moon during the month of Thadingyut.

The revelries celebrate the anniversary of Buddha’s descent to Earth from his celestial abode.

During the day, families travel to several pagodas to pray to Buddha and light incense for wishes and as offerings. They also partake in a ritual in which one pours cups of water over a statue of the Buddha for good luck. Food, flowers, money and other gifts are also distributed.

As the sun sinks below the horizon, people take to the streets to celebrate with firecrackers, food and street fairs. Homes are decorated with lights and candles are lit – at pagodas and on the streets – to commemorate deceased loved ones. For the brave of heart, man-powered Ferris wheels feature the acrobatics of young men who climb through the wheel to set it in motion, before riding the chairs to the ground.

Girls watch in awe as men manually operate a Ferris wheel at a street fair in Yangon. The festival is a three-day event occurring on the full moon during the month of Thadingyut.
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Candles are lit at Botataung Pagoda in remembrance of loved ones.
People light candles in remembrance of deceased loved ones at sunset.
Street vendors and festivalgoers walk through a lighting festival fair in downtown Yangon.
A young girl rides a manually operated merry-go-round at a street fair during the festival.
A man cooks yea mote, a traditional Myanmar snack, at the fair.
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A young man lights candles and incense at Botataung Pagoda.
A woman prays at the base of Shwedagon Pagoda.
A mother helps her daughter ring a golden bell as the sun sets at Botataung Pagoda.
Women pray at sunset at the base of Shwedagon Pagoda.
Buddhist nuns walk in a procession clockwise around Shwedagon Pagoda during the lighting festival.
Visitors walk up and down the steps to Shwedagon Pagoda.
Visitors take part in the "bathing the Buddha" ritual by splashing cups of water on a Buddha statue. The custom is said to bring blessings.