Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi festival commemorates the birth of Sri Ganesha which is marked with the installation of His clay idol. Observances include chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts and prayers and the vrata (fasting). Offerings and prasada from the daily prayers, that are distributed to the community, include sweets such as modak as it is believed to be a favourite of Ganesha.

The festival celebrates Ganesha as the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles as well as the God of wisdom and intelligence.

The earliest mention of Ganapati is found in the Rigveda. It implies a role of Ganapati as "the seer among the seers, abounding beyond measure in food, presiding among the elders, and being the lord of an invocation". It states that without Ganapati "nothing nearby or afar is performed". The Vedic term Ganapati literally means "guardian of the multitudes", that means the Lord of the elements, the powers and the phenomena of nature.