The festival celebrates Lord Ganesh as the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence and is observed throughout India, especially in the states such as Maharashtra and Goa. Thereafter the clay idol dissolves and Ganesh is believed to return to Mount Kailash to Parvati and Shiva. In Mumbai alone, around 150,000 statues are immersed annually.

The festival ends on the tenth day after start, when the idol is carried in a public procession with music and group chanting, then immersed in a nearby body of water such as a river or sea, called visarjan. Offerings and prasДЃda from the daily prayers, that are distributed from the pandal to the community, include sweets such as modaka as it is believed to be a favourite of Lord Ganesh. Observations include chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts such as, prayers and vrata (fasting). The festival is marked with the installation of Lord Ganesh's clay murtis privately in homes and publicly by Shri Bal Gangadhar Tilak popularly known as Lokmanya Tilak in Pune in the year 1893 on elaborate pandals (temporary stages). Ganesh Chaturthi ( ISO: Gaб№‡eЕ›a CaturthД«), also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi ( VinДЃyaka CaturthД«), or Vinayaka Chaviti ( VinДЃyaka CavitД«) is a Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of Lord Ganesh to earth from Kailash Parvat with his mother Goddess Parvati/ Gauri.

Ganesh festival 2015 date