Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: Political leaders, devotees welcome idol as 10-Day festival begins

On the occasion of Ganeshotsav today, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde worshiped Shri Ganaraya at the government residence 'Varsha'. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi)

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, is a much-awaited and widely celebrated Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of Lord Ganesha across Indian states. (Express Photo by Pradip Das)

Beloved elephant-headed god, Ganesha, is known as the diety of wisdom, prosperity, good fortune, and the remover of obstacles. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

A woman artist gives final touch to a clay idol of Lord Ganesh, being displayed for sale. (PTI Photo)

Maharashtra governor CP Radhakrishnan performs the Ganesh Puja and Aarti at his residence, ‘Jal Bhushan’, in Raj Bhavan to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. (X/maha_governor)

During the festival, beautifully decorated clay idols of Lord Ganesha are installed in homes, temples, and temporary public stages called pandals and then worshipped through various rituals and ceremonies. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

People take Ganesh idols from workshops to their home on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi today in Mumbai. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Hindu devotees carry an idol of elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesha onto a train ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi from Mumbai Central station to Surat. (Express Photo By Ganesh Shirsekar)

Devotees seen parading colossal idols of the lord through the streets of Mumbai ahead of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. ( Express Photo Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Shivchhaya Mitra Mandal's 54th Ganeshotsav at Turbhe in Navi Mumbai. Navi Mumbaicha Raja features a grand display of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation designed by Amol Pashte and a 10-foot Lord Ganesha idol sculpted by Kunal Dingankar, drawing crowds to the city's oldest public Ganesh festival. (Express Photo by Narendra Vaskar)

Devotees are photographed parading an idol of Lord Ganesh during a procession ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

According to the years-old tradition, a Ganapati idol arrived in Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara on the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi on Saturday, with the traditional sound of shehnai and chants of 'Ganapati Bappa Morya'. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

Nagpur: Devotees carry an idol of Lord Ganesh to the pandal ahead of the festival. (PTI)

The festivities are finally concluded on the day of Anant Chaturdashi, when Ganesha’s idol is carried in a public procession and immersed (visarjan) in a river of sea. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

The festival is a huge event in the state of Maharashtra where, every year, thousands of devotees take to the streets to commemorate the birth of Ganesh. They sing, dance, play music and take part in the festivities with a lot of passion. (Express Photo)