06/09/2022
Ganesh Chaturthi commemorates the birthday of Lord Ganesh. Hindus believe it to be the most powerful day to worship the beloved elephant-headed god who is revered for his ability to remove obstacles. On this day, beautiful handcrafted idols of the Lord are installed both in homes and in public. Prana Pratishtha is performed to invoke the power of the deity into the idol, followed by a 16-step ritual known as "Shodashopachara Puja." During the ritual, various offerings including sweets, coconuts, and flowers are made to the idol.
The idols of Lord Ganesh are worshiped every day, with an "aarti", a ritual of worship, in the evening. The largest Ganesh statues, on display to the public, are taken out and immersed in water on Anant Chaturdashi in grand street processions featuring a cacophony of traditional drumming and crackers. Many people who keep an idol in their homes carry out the immersion much before this though. However, such immersions only take place on certain days -- one and a half, three, five, and seven days after Ganesh Chaturthi.
The festival takes place on a grand scale in Mumbai, where many worshippers decide to visit some of the city's most popular Ganesh idols.
