Near Bangkok, Thailand, July 17, 2008—Shown in a time exposure photo, Buddhists in Thailand carry candles in celebration of Asanha Puja Day.

The festival, also known as Dhamma Day or Asalha Puja, commemorates the first teaching of the Buddha, sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C., to students in India.

Asanha Puja Day is celebrated on the full moon of the eighth month on the lunar calendar. The holiday coincides with the beginning of monsoon season and a time when Buddhist monks and nuns have traditionally refrained from travel and dedicated their days to meditation, reflection, and teaching new members of the monastic community.

The light trails in the photo are a results of a 20-second exposure.

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