Ganesh Chaturthi is a major Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom, prosperity, and the removal of obstacles. It begins on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, usually in August or September, and lasts up to ten days.

The festival is celebrated in homes and public spaces, particularly in Maharashtra, India. Families and community organizations place statues of Ganesha in decorated shrines and perform religious rituals, prayers, and offerings. Worship includes chanting mantras, presenting flowers and coconuts, and offering sweets such as modaks and laddus, which are later shared as blessed food.

At the festival’s conclusion, devotees perform Ganesh Visarjan, immersing the statues in water to symbolize Ganesha’s return to Mount Kailash, the home of his parents, Shiva and Parvati. Public celebrations often feature processions, music, singing, and dancing.

Historically, the festival gained political significance under Maratha ruler Shivaji and was revived as a public celebration in 1893 by Indian independence leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak to encourage collective identity during British rule.

Today, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated throughout India and by Hindu communities worldwide.

This series was photographed in Mumbai in 1998, 2006, and 2017.