It was not all work and no play while I was in Bangalore (it was not the opposite as well). After a particularly distressing weekend (Yipee, I finally got the travellers' diarrhea), I was making my way to Forum (a shopping mall nearby) for dinner when I heard some music being played in the local Hindu temple (Prasanna Ganapathi Temple, Koramangala). Went up to check and ended following the procession for 2 hours plus acting as the "official" photographer.

Lord Ganesh or Ganapati the elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom/prosperity/fortune, is the son of Lord Shiva (the destroyer) and Parvati (consort of Lord Shiva). Parvati created Ganesh out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. As Lord Shiva returned, Ganesh didn't know him and didn't allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged and severed the head of the child. After realizing that he had beheaded his own son, Lord Shiva fixed the head of an elephant in place of Ganesh's head. In this way, Lord Ganesh came to be depicted as the elephant-headed god.

Ganesh Chaturthi festival is Lord Ganesh's birthday and Hindus thinks that it is this day that he will bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees. Large sculptures (in Mumbai, it can be a storey high) of Lord Ganesh are usually worshipped at home/temples by believers. After a couple of days, there will be a ceremony where devotees will march the idols to a nearby lake/pond. As the idols are immersed into the waters, a cry is raised asking him to return next year. It is an emotional and public farewell to their beloved god.

As it is often made of clay or plaster, the statue will dissolve into the water. As told by the priest (of the procession I followed), the water can then be used as fertilizers for the fields. However, there may be potential issues with water pollution as plaster is man-made and contains toxic elements. Times of India (India's main English daily) had an article urging worshippers to practice other alternatives, like using clay idols or immersing the idols in man-made water tanks, though I'm unsure if anyone actually heeds the advice.