MUMBAI — Millions of Hindus began the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival on Sunday, installing idols of the elephant-headed deity in homes and community pandals across India and among diaspora communities worldwide. Maharashtra hosted the largest celebrations.
The festival, which honours Lord Ganesha as the remover of obstacles, is among the most widely observed in western India. Public installations at Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja and other prominent pandals traditionally attract hundreds of thousands of worshippers over the coming days, according to organising committees.
Civic authorities in Mumbai and Pune prepared for heavy footfall, with police deploying additional personnel and traffic diversions around major processions. Organisers in several cities promoted eco-friendly clay idols and artificial immersion tanks to reduce pollution in rivers and the Arabian Sea during the visarjan immersion rituals.
The celebration carries economic weight, supporting artisans, decorators and small traders who supply idols, flowers and sweets. Idol-makers in Pen, a town in Maharashtra known for its Ganesh workshops, reported strong demand ahead of the festival, according to local craft associations.
The festivities culminate in Anant Chaturdashi, when devotees carry idols in music-filled processions to be immersed in water, symbolising Ganesha's return to his celestial home.