Buddhist monks attend an alms offering ceremony in Bangkok's shopping district
Buddhist monks attend an alms offering ceremony in Bangkok's shopping district May 8, 2011. Buddhist monks, numbering 12,600, according to organisers, attended the ceremony on Vesak Day, the annual celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. The event was organized to pay homage to the Lord Buddha and to give moral support to the Buddhist monks and novices from the troubled southern provinces of Thailand. This year marks 2600th anniversary of the Buddha's enlightenment. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj (THAILAND - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION)