Maha Muni Pagoda Festival, Myanmar

Mandalay’s majestic Mahan Muni Buddha image is said to have been cast in the presence of the Lord Buddha himself, making it a highly cherished religious landmark. The statue is four metres high, and its body and limbs are covered with gold as thick as 15 centimetres, added over the centuries by devotees making merit. On the full moon day of Thabodwe, devotees cook glutinous rice over bonfires that are offered to the monks at that area. (Myanmar Tourism Ministry)