In Pics | Colourful, vibrant and picturesque: Nice carnival marks 150 years, with a wink to Rio

During this year's Nice Carnival, a giant figure, which depicted a king, is being paraded between the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Statue of Liberty. The carnival is being held on the them "King of the treasures of the world" and will continue till February 26.
 

Along with giving a wink to the sister Rio carnival, which is inspired by the Nice Carnival, the city has also invited Rio De Janeiro as its guest of honour. According to the city hall, more than 200,000 spectators are expected to throng the city this year for the carnival.
 

Dancers, in colourful and attractive costumes, were seen dancing through the parade and adding hues of pink, blue and red to the carnival. Nice Carnival has been ranked third among the largest celebrations in the world, as Rio de Janeiro and Venice occupy the top two places.
 

It is a people's carnival as almost 95 per cent of capacity was filled by travellers and city dwellers one week before the festival kicked off. The visitors are paying a small price to attend the event and some revellers are coming dressed "in full costume” and enjoying the festivities for free.

At the end of the 19th century, various princes and kings travelled to Nice from their kingdoms to spend their winters, among which was Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. In 1888, which was a year before he abdicated, the king travelled to Nice with his entire family, including Princess Isabelle. In Nice, he took part in the carnival twice. When he returned to Rio, he held a similar parade with flowered carriages.
 

This year, the real excitement is to see the famous floats and big heads parade through the carnival. Jean-Pierre Povigna's whose family has been given “the honour and privilege" of creating floats from five generations, said, “We're a bit stressed, but still on track.”