Overview
Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: Gaṇeśa Caturthī), also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, Vinayaka Chavithi or Vinayagar Chaturthi, is a Hindu festival dedicated to the deity Ganesha. In tradition, Ganesha is venerated as the god of new beginnings, the remover of obstacles, and the deity associated with wisdom, fortune, prosperity and intelligence.
The festival is marked by the installation of Ganesha's murtis (devotional representations of the deity), both privately in homes and publicly on elaborately decorated pandals (temporary stages). Observances include the chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts, prayers, and vrata (fasting). Offerings and prasada distributed to the community include sweets such as modak, which is traditionally regarded as a favourite of Ganesha.
The festival concludes on the tenth day, known as Ananta Chaturdashi, when the murti is carried in a public procession accompanied by music and group chanting, and then immersed in a nearby body of water such as a river or the sea. This ritual immersion is called visarjana. In Mumbai alone, around 150,000 murtis are reported to be immersed annually.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a state festival of Maharashtra and is observed widely across the Indian subcontinent by Hindus, particularly in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa, as well as in Sri Lanka. It is also observed by the Hindu diaspora in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, other parts of the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, the United States and parts of Europe.