BUDDHA'S BIRTHDAY
THE LANTERN LOTUS FESTIVAL
The world, well at least the Buddhists, are getting ready for Buddha's birthday. Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born something like 2500 years ago ... take that Jesus! It falls on the full moon of the fourth lunar month.
There is a legend that, at the time of his birth in Lumbini garden, the heavenly gods celebrated by creating a rain of amrta (heavenly nectar). Today this is symbolized in temples by pouring sweet tea over a statue of the infant Buddha.
In some countries, like South Korea, it is a national holiday and every year they celebrate it with something called the Lotus Lantern Festival ... and it's gorgeous!
Talking about Buddha, archaeologists are actually working to stabilise the remains of the two 1,700-year-old statues blew by the Talibans in 2001 now located in Afghanistan first national park.
Enjoy more photos from the celebrations of The Lotus Lantern Festival in the gallery below.