Going to India for the Ganesh Chaturthi

Even those of us who know little to nothing about Hinduism are likely familiar with the image of the beloved Hindu god Ganesha (also called Ganesh), easily recognized by his elephant head. This popular deity is worshipped by Hindu people in India and Nepal, as well as Hindus around the world, and his popularity even goes beyond Hinduism – Ganesh is also worshipped by some from other religions as well. Because of this, the annual festival celebrating Ganesha – the Ganesh Chaturthi – is a major event on the calendar.

>> In 2011, Ganesh Caturthi runs from September 1-12.

>> Want to honor Ganesha in India? Check out cheap flights to India and domestic flights in India to see how different parts of the country celebrate.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival lasting 11 days, with the biggest celebrations being reserved for the final day. Of course, since the festival is on the Hindu calendar, it moves from year to year on the Gregorian calendar. If you’re planning a trip to India to coincide with the festival, be sure to check the current year’s dates – but you advance planners can at least rely on the fact that it will occur in August or September.

The very first day of the festival is called Ganesh Chaturthi, and the first act of the celebrations is to introduce large new Ganesh statues (specially created for the festival) and place them in temples and temporary structures in cities and towns all over India. Ganesh is a common figure in India already, but during Ganesha Chaturthi you can’t escape his image – in cities where the festival is especially big, there can be tens of thousands of Ganesh statues on display.

During the 10 days that follow the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi, people worship Ganesh by leaving specific offerings at his statues. Other festivities include music and dance performances, social services and acts of charity, as well as feasting. On the 11th day of the festival, known as the Ananta Chaturdashi, the statues of Ganesh that were erected for the festival are paraded through town before being submerged in the nearest body of water – either a river or the sea.

>> Want to combine multiple celebrations in one trip? Read more about Onam and Navaratri, two other autumn festivals in India.

photo by { pranav }