Buddhists across the world are celebrating Vesak, usually called 'Buddha's birthday', but actually marking the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha.
Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, was born in the Himalayan foothills in present-day Nepal about 500 years before the birth of Christ.
A child drops coins into golden Buddha statues on Vesak Day at the Thai Buddhist Chetawan Temple in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Buddhists across the world celebrate Vesak to honour the birth, enlightenment and passing of Lord Buddha 2,550 years agoReutersThe Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya in India is illuminated to celebrate the birthday of Lord BuddhaAFPBuddhists place lotus-shaped candle holders in the shape of a swastika, an auspicious Buddhist symbol, at the Yufo Temple in ShanghaiReutersMonks take part in a ceremony to celebrate Buddha's birthday at the Yufo Temple in ShanghaiReutersA man packs Buddha figurines at a workshop in ColomboReutersThousands of Taiwanese Buddhists take part in a gathering to celebrate Buddha's birthday in TaipeiAFPBuddhists pray during a ceremony to commemorate the birth of Buddha, at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in TaipeiReutersBuddhist devotees pour water on a sacred tree as they take part in a ceremony at the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon, MyanmarAFPA novice Buddhist monk is dressed for a Vesak Day ceremony at a pagoda in Takeo province, CambodiaReutersBuddhist monks perform the "three steps one bow" ceremony at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in SingaporeReutersA devotee prays at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in SingaporeReutersBuddhist devotees unfurl a sacred painting at a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Ipoh, MalaysiaAFPWorshippers pray under lanterns during a ceremony marking Buddha's birthday at the Jogyesa temple in Seoul, South KoreaAFPAn anti-government protester with her nails painted in Thai national colours, a symbol of the protesters, prays with Buddhist monks during an alms offering ceremony in BangkokReutersThai army soldiers help to carry offerings given to Buddhist monks on the occasion of the birth, enlightenment and death of BuddhaAFP
