A large idol of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha sat in the back of an open truck traveling along a busy Mumbai street, dwarfing other objects on the road. Hundreds of devotees walked alongside singing hymns glorifying the god, believed to be the remover of obstacles and the granter of wishes.
The devotees took the idol to their small but densely populated neighborhood, where they and others will worship it for 10 days. Many will whisper their wishes in Lord Ganesha’s ear and present him offerings of his favorite sweets made with coconut and jaggery called modak.
At the end of the festival known as Ganesh Chaturthi, devotees will then transport the idol to a nearby beach where they will ceremonially immerse it into the sea. The elephant-headed god will thus return to his heavenly abode after being made aware of people’s wishes.
During the festival, which started Sept. 7 this year, millions of devotees all over India celebrate the birth of Ganesha, one of the most worshipped…
