Across India, Hindu devotees are carrying idols of the elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha – large and small – through the streets in processions accompanied by dancing and singing, before immersing them in bodies of water. The ritual symbolises seeing of the god off on his journey towards his abode at the end of the 10-day festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Devotees gather on the shores of the Arabian Sea before the immersion of the idols of Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, on the last day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in MumbaiShailesh Andrade/ReutersA huge idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, is carried through Mumbai during a procession on the last day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, before it is immersed the Arabian seaShailesh Andrade/ReutersDevotees shower rose petals and coloured powder on a huge idol of elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesha as it is immersed in MumbaiPunit Paranjpe/AFPA crane is used to immerse a 57-foot high statue of Hindu god Ganesh in the Hussain Sagar Lake in HyderabadNoah Seelam/AFPA 57-foot high statue of Hindu god Ganesh is immersed in the Hussain Sagar Lake in HyderabadNoah Seelam/AFPHuge crowds gather to watch statues of Hindu god Ganesh being immersed in the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad at the conclusion of the Ganesh Chaturthi festivalNoah Seelam/AFPDevotees transport an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh on a cart for its immersion during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in AhmedabadAmit Dave/ReutersAn idol of the Hindu god Ganesh is immersed in the Sabarmati river on the last day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in AhmedabadAmit Dave/Reuters
The festival is held in honour of the god of wisdom and prosperity, Lord Ganesha, also known as Ganapati. The son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha is depicted as having an elephant's head and a man's body, usually with four arms.
Devotees place idols of the elephant-headed god in their homes or on elevated stages in public places and then – at the end of the ten-day period – immerse the statues in rivers, lakes or the sea. According to popular belief, Lord Ganesha blesses those who worship him on this day by removing obstacles from their lives and granting them new beginnings.
A devotee exits a taxi carrying an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh as he prepares to immerse it into the waters of the river Ganges in KolkataRupak De Chowdhuri/ReutersDevotees carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh into the Bay of Bengal in ChennaiP Ravikumar/ReutersA man transports an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, on a makeshift raft after it was immersed in a pond in AhmedabadAmit Dave/ReutersDevotees dance around a huge idol of elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesha during a procession before its immersion in MumbaiPunit Paranjpe/AFPDevotees carry an idol of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesha for immersion in a pond near Sangam in AllahabadSanjay Kanojia/AFPHindu devotees fight the waves as they immerse an idol of elephant-headed deity Ganesha at Dadar Chowpatty beach in MumbaiPunit Paranjpe/AFPA Hindu devotee carries an idol of the elephant-headed deity Ganesha for immersion at Dadar Chowpatty beach in MumbaiPunit Paranjpe/AFPA man collects idols of the Hindu god Ganesh that were immersed in the waters of the Sabarmati river during the ten-day long Ganesh Chaturthi festival in AhmedabadAmit Dave/Reuters
