Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the bright half of the Hindu month Bhadrapada — typically late August or early September. The festival lasts up to 11 days and ends with visarjan.

On the final day, a clay murti of Ganesha is carried in a procession with music and dance, then immersed in a river, lake, or sea. The act symbolises Ganesha's return to Mount Kailash.

Modak — a sweet dumpling stuffed with coconut and jaggery — is Lord Ganesha's favourite food. 21 modaks are typically offered as prasad during the Ganesh puja and distributed to devotees.

Devotees install a clay Ganesha murti at home, perform aarti morning and evening, recite the Ganesh Atharvashirsha or 108 names, and offer modaks, durva grass, and red flowers (jaswanti).

Lokmanya Tilak transformed it into a public mass festival in 1893 to bridge caste divides and rally national unity during British rule. Today large pandals (community installations) are common.