Thousands of terracotta oil lamps flicker with golden light, like broken fragments of the full moon gleaming overhead. The faint fragrance of burning coconut oil mingles with the elusive perfumes of a tropical night. And the soft chants of worshippers, dressed in white to denote purity, give the scene a surreal beauty as Sri Lanka’s Buddhists celebrate the holiest day of the year, Vesak.

Vesak Day falls during the full moon every May. It commemorates the “thrice blessed day” celebrating the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Lord Buddha.  But Sri Lanka has its own unique interpretation of Vesak – mingling devotion and alms-giving with spectacular displays of light.