Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth and arrival of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the god of new beginnings, to the earthly realm. Falling on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, it is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India, marking the start of the auspicious season that leads into Navratri and Diwali.

Installation of clay idols in homes and grand community pandals, daily aartis, and cultural programs continue for up to ten days, ending with the immersion (visarjan) of the idol in a river, lake, or the sea. Devotees offer modaks, Ganesha's favorite sweet, throughout the festival, and the immersion procession is often accompanied by music, dance, and chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya.'

While Ganesh Chaturthi has been observed as a private, family festival for centuries, it was transformed into a large public event by the freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak in 1893. Tilak encouraged community-wide idol installations (sarvajanik utsav) specifically to bring people together across caste lines under British rule and to build a shared platform for nationalist gatherings, a legacy that shaped the large public pandals seen today.

According to legend, Goddess Parvati created Ganesha from the turmeric paste (ubtan) she used while bathing, and brought him to life to guard her door. When Lord Shiva, unaware of who the boy was, was refused entry, he beheaded him in anger; to console Parvati, he later restored the boy to life with the head of an elephant, making him the deity who removes obstacles for all who worship him first.

• •Prana Pratishtha
• •Modak Offering
• •Visarjan

• •Shodashopachara Puja
• •Chanting Ganesha Atharvashirsha
• •Aarti

• •Maharashtra Sarvajanik Utsav
• •Gowri-Ganesha in Karnataka
• •Giant Idols in Hyderabad

Dos and Don'ts