Newsletter Newsletters Events Events Podcasts Videos Africanews
Loader
A Hindu woman performs evening rituals to the Sun god on Hartalika Teej festival at the Sangam, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.

Video. India begins ten-day Ganesha festival with processions and prayers

Updated:

The annual Ganesha festival began across India on Wednesday, as millions of Hindu devotees prepared to celebrate the elephant-headed deity’s birthday with prayers, processions and rituals lasting 10 days.

The festival is among the most significant in the Hindu calendar, with worshippers believing Ganesha removes obstacles and brings prosperity. Decorated idols are installed in homes and at temporary public shrines, where prayers and offerings take place.

In New Delhi, devotees carried a Ganesha idol in a procession accompanied by drumbeats and dancing.

The festival concludes on 6 September with the immersion of idols in rivers and seas, symbolising the god’s return to his mythical abode.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT