IN PHOTOS: The smashing La Tomatina festival!

As India gets immersed in the simultaneous celebrations of Ganeshutsav, Eid-ul-Fitr and Onam, friends in far away Spain also had their time of the year.

The much-celebrated annual La Tomatina festival, held in the last Wednesday of August every year at Bunol town of Valencia, attracted a huge influx of tourists and revelers from across the world this year as well.

Better known as the festival of throwing tomatoes at each other, La Tomatina first started possibly in 1944, when youngsters started a brawl in the parade of gigantes y cabezudos by throwing tomatoes at each other from a vegetable stand nearby, irking local police officials. The event has turned into a gigantic unofficial party since then.

The world-famous festival further captured the imagination of Indian audiences after it was featured in Bollywood film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Rediff.com presents pictures of this year's La Tomatina festival which was celebrated on Wednesday.

pictures...

Revelers on a truck throw tomatoes into the crowd during the annual Tomatina festival in the Mediterranean village of Bunol, near Valencia

Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

A reveler gives the thumbs-up as he is covered with tomato pulp after the annual Tomatina.

Photographer: Heino Kalis/Reuters

A reveler is covered with tomato pulp duirng the annual "Tomatina" festival

Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

Revelers on a truck throw tomatoes into the crowd during the annual 'Tomatina' in the Mediterranean village of Bunol

Photograph: Reuters

Revelers jump in tomato pulp during the annual "Tomatina"

Photographer: Heino Kalis/Reuters

A reveler is covered with tomato pulp after the annual "Tomatina" (tomato fight) in Bunol, near Valencia

Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

Revelers are covered in tomato pulp during the annual 'Tomatina' festival

Photograph: Reuters

Revelers cover each other with tomato pulp during annual tomato fight in eastern Spain.

Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

Revelers fight inside tomato pulp during the annual tomato fight in the Mediterranean village of Bunol

Photograph: Reuters

Revelers rest in tomato pulp during the annual 'Tomatina' festival in the Mediterranean village of Bunol

Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters