Ganesh Chaturthi begins as Mumbai leads celebrations across India

Devotees across India welcomed Lord Ganesha on Wednesday as Ganesh Chaturthi observances began, with Mumbai at the centre of colourful processions, packed pandals and celebrity pujas that marked the start of the festival period that will culminate in immersion ceremonies in early September. The Chaturthi tithi began late on August 26 and, according to Hindu panchang calculations, Ganesh Chaturthi is being observed on August 27, with the traditional installation window for idols in many cities running between about 11:05 am and 1:40 pm.

Mumbai drew one of the largest crowds, with long queues outside the citys iconic Lalbaugcha Raja pandal and devotees filling major temples such as Shree Siddhivinayak. Videos circulating on social media showed devotees dancing and chanting Ganpati Bappa Morya as the Lalbaug procession arrived, while organisers and police mounted extra security for the ten day festival. Pilgrims also thronged temples in Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati and elsewhere, and in Tamil Nadu clay idols and traditional offerings such as kozhukattai were seen at shrines including the Sri Karpaga Vinayaka Temple and the Uchipillaiyar Shrine, officials...