Tens of thousands of people visited the capital Colombo from across the country on Sunday (May 3) to celebrate Veska, a festival that marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha.

It is the biggest religious event for Sri Lanka's majority Buddhists and is celebrated throughout the island. The capital, Colombo was decorated with pandols, lanterns, coloured lights and Buddhist flags.

People also organised hundreds of dhansalas, which are stalls set up to handout free food and drinks to visitors on Veska day. Colombo was packed with people till the early hours on Monday (May 4) morning, causing massive traffic jams.

More than two thirds of the island's 20 million people are Buddhists.