Vesak Festival in Colombo, Sri Lanka

A family enjoying the Vesak Lights on Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Monks enjoying the Vesak Lights on Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Seema Malaka Temple on Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Vesak Choral Boats on Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka

People Enjoying the Vesak Festival in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Seema Malaka Temple on Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Betel vendor in Colombo, Sri Lanka

A puppet show celebrating Vesak in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Vesak Festival in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Celebrating Vesak with some ice cream in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Vesak performance on Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka

I ended my 3 day visit to Sri Lanka at Beira Lake in Colombo which was transformed into a magical wonderland to celebrate the biggest holiday of the year. Vesak is the day that the Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment, and died (yes, all on the same day!), so you can see why it is such a big deal. It is celebrated throughout the country with dansalas (free food stalls), pandols (large, lighted story boards), and lanterns (which signify enlightenment). The lanterns are elaborately hand-made and most of them are also mechanized so that each section rotates in opposite directions.

These are some of the most gorgeous creations I’ve ever seen and after the end of the evening my face hurt from grinning like a fool. I was completely swept away by the magic of Vesak and am extremely grateful to have been able to experience such a beautiful celebration.