Photographer |Travel Documentary Fine Art Thailand

Mandalay, Myanmar- April 14, 2013: Early in the day, the traffic flows by easily as party goers get their first pass by the water platforms during Myanmar's Thingyan Water Festival. Thingyan is held in April, one of the hottest months of the year in Myanmar. The water festival marks the country's New Year celebration and the festival includes lots of drinking, singing, dancing and theater. Wherever you are you are likely to get doused with water as the Burmese see this as a cleansing of the previous year's sins and bad luck and a blessing for good luck and prosperity in the year ahead. In the major cities of Mandalay and Yangon, large platforms are erected along major roadways and are equipped with high powered water hoses. The platforms, sponsored by large corporate donors, also have dance stages and play the latest pop and hip hop music. Thousands of residents pour into the streets by foot, motorbike and flatbed truck to get hosed under the platforms while they drink and dance. Many of the young celebrants wear their best clubbing clothes. And many of the party goers are men, having left their wives and girlfriends at home.