Photo: A procession with the Lalbaugcha Raja (the most renowned version of Ganesha in Mumbai), by Karthik Nadar via Wikicommons.
Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, or Vinayaka Chavithi, is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god who removes obstacles and brings luck and new beginnings. This year, the festival is celebrated on September 2, although exact dates vary by region, and the festival lasts 10 days.
People celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi by reading sacred texts, holding feasts and athletic competitions, and by displaying statues of Ganesha. At the end of the festival, a singing and chanting parade of people escorts a clay Ganesha statue to a nearby body of water. As the clay dissolves in the water, Ganesha symbolically returns to Mount Kailash with his parents, Parvati and Shiva and the festival is concluded.
