Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganesh Festival) is the birthday of Lord Ganesha—observed this year on Sept 15. Ganesh is the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati and he is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.

This festival starts with the installation of beautifully sculptured and painted Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and temples.

The main sweet dish during the festival is the modak, a dumpling made from rice/wheat flour with a stuffing of coconut, sugar and other condiments. It is either steam-cooked or fried. Local communities compete with each other to put up the biggest statue. The festival comes alive with songs, dancing, dramas and orchestra.

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