Held in August/September each year, depending on the cycle of the moon, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of the beloved Hindu elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha. Ganesha, also fondly referred to as Ganpati, is popularly worshiped for his ability to remove obstacles and bring good fortune.
The festival begins with the installation of huge elaborately crafted statutes of Ganesha in homes and canopied podiums (called pandals), which have been especially constructed and beautifully decorated. Artisans put months of effort into making the statues. The statues are then worshiped for various durations of up to 12 days, before being immersed in water.
These Ganesh photos were taken in Mumbai, which is one of the best places to see the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Around 10,000 statues of Lord Ganesh are displayed at various locations in the city. Other Indian states that also widely celebrate the festival include Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
- Graphic Index
- Text Index
