Tens of thousands of people lined up along the streets of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo for an annual Buddhist parade on Monday.

Drummers, traditional dancers and decorated elephants took part in the event, called Nawam Maha Perahera.

The colourful parade was over three kilometres long and started at the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple.

An elephant carried a casket containing what Buddhists believe to be a relic of Buddha.

The annual event is good business for the locals, as it draws crowds of tourists to the city.