Buddhist monks ride on elephants as they receive donations from locals to mark the start of Buddhist Lent in Thailand. <br /><br />The religious figures mounted the jumbos and paraded through the streets in Surin, northeastern Thailand, this morning (July 16).<br /><br />Incredible footage shows the elderly shaven-headed monks receiving 'alms', picnic-hamper like donations that bright good luck, as they ride the elephants through the town centre.<br /><br />The event is a part of an annual celebration for Buddhist Lent which is marked across the country. <br /><br />Monks will now spend the next few months holed up in their temples studying Buddhist scriptures and meditating until the end of the rainy season.
