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Vesak Day 2025: Sri Lankans celebrate Buddhist festival with dazzling lights and lavish feast

Colombo burst into colour and light as tens of thousands of devotees gathered on May 12 to mark Vesak Day, Sri Lanka’s most sacred Buddhist festival. The celebrations honoured Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death through elaborate pandals, glowing lanterns, and oil lamps symbolising wisdom. More than 8,500 free food stalls served the faithful, with the largest at Independence Square feeding 35,000. The week-long festivities drew devotees from across the island, transforming the capital into a vibrant hub of spiritual devotion and unity.

first published: May 13, 2025 01:24 pm