13 pictures of Thailand's Songkran water festival

Thailand marked its New Year's Day in its Songkran water festival, celebrated annually between April 11 and April 15. It has come to be known as the 'Water Festival' because people splash and pour water over each other as part of the ritual to cleanse each other and welcome the new year.

The celebration is rich in other symbolic traditions including visiting local temples, offering food to Buddhist monks and pouring water over Budda statues. The water represents purification and washing away sins and bad luck.

Here we look at 13 pictures of the festival being celebrated in Thailand's Ayutthaya province, north of Bangkok.

Mahouts paint elephants ahead of the celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand's Ayutthaya province, north of Bangkok. PHOTO: REUTERS

A painted elephant ahead of the celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand's Ayutthaya province, north of Bangkok. PHOTO: REUTERS

Mahouts paint an elephant ahead of the celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand's Ayutthaya province. PHOTO: REUTERS

A man plays a trumpet while people are splashed by elephants with water during the celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand. PHOTO: REUTERS

A woman is splashed by elephants with water during the celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand's Ayutthaya province. PHOTO: AFP

People and elephants splash each other with water during the celebration of the Songkran water festival. PHOTO: REUTERS

Elephants spray people with water in celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand. PHOTO: REUTERS

A boy is splashed by elephants with water during the celebration of the Songkran water festival. PHOTO: REUTERS

A man plays a trumpet while people are splashed by elephants with water during the celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand. PHOTO: REUTERS

A woman is splashed by elephants with water during the celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand's Ayutthaya province, north of Bangkok. PHOTO: REUTERS

Elephants spray people with water in celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand's Ayutthaya province. PHOTO: REUTERS

A boy is splashed by elephants with water during the celebration of the Songkran water festival. PHOTO: REUTERS

Elephants spray children with water during the celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand's Ayutthaya province. PHOTO: REUTERS