Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrated to honour the birth of the elephant-headed God in Hindu mythology, Ganesha. The ten-day festival is celebrated with great fervour across India. Pandals (tents) are set up, houses are cleaned, and delicious sweets are prepared on the occasion. A ritual called Pranapratishhtha, which involves chanting of mantras by the priest, is performed. Clay idols of Lord Ganesha in various shapes and sizes are brought and placed in homes and pandals. Special Ganpati prayers, Songs and devotional chanting are also part of the occasion.In Maharashtra, people purchase clay or metal idols of Lord Ganesha and worship them for one to ten days. The deities are then taken out in a majestic procession through the streets and immersed in a river, well or sea.
