The masquerade parade on the Grand Canal in Venice is part of the Venice Carnival, an annual festival which began in 1162.
During two weeks of the Venice Carnival, thousands of tourists descend on Venice to savour the fun fiesta.
IMAGE: The masquerade parade on the Grand Canal. All photographs: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
IMAGE: Revellers dressed as Megasex condoms.
IMAGE: Revellers masquerade as nuns.
IMAGE: Women revellers dressed in costumes from another time.
IMAGE: That looks like a lot of fun!
IMAGE: A boat carries Pantegana, the big rat.
IMAGE: Pantegana, the big rat, releases balloons, near the Rialto bridge on the Grand Canal.
IMAGE: As the balloons are released ,a confetti blast fills the air.
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com