Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi ( Gaṇeśa Caturthī ), also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi ( Vināyaka Caturthī ), or Vinayaka Chaviti ( Vināyaka Cavitī ) is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha (Ganesh). The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay murtis privately in homes and publicly on elaborate pandals (temporary stages). Observances include chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts, such as prayers and vrata (fasting). Offerings and prasada 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 Ganesha. 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. In...