Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesha Festival, Hyderabad
Official name	Ganesha Chaturthi/Vinayaka Chaturthi
Also called	Chavath ,Chavathi, varasiddhi vinayaka vratam,pillayar chaturthi,lambodara pirnalu, Ganeshotsav
Observed by	Hindus
Type	Religious, folk
Celebrations	Pavilions, street processions, idol immersion
Begins	Bhadrapada shukla chaturthi
Ends	Varies
Date	August, September
2016 date	5 September
2017 date	25 August
Frequency	Annual

Ganesh Chaturthi (also known chavathi Gaṇēśa Chaturthī or Vināyaka Chaviti) is the Hindu festival celebrated in honor of lord Ganesh. This is a very auspicious day celebrated to pray to the god so that every new activity that is started is successfully completed without any obstacles .(Vighna = Obstacle). He is the God of knowledge. (Knowledge = gyan)

Chaturthi (Sanskrit: चतुर्थी) means "fourth day" or "fourth state". Celebrations are traditionally held on the fourth day of the second fortnight (Shukla Chaturthi) in every month and is also known as "Vinayaka Chathurti", but the biggest annual celebration in the month of Bhaadrapada in the Hindu calendar, usually is August or September in the Gregorian calendar. Badrapad corresponds to Virgo (simha/avani-tamil) in solar calendar. The festival generally lasts ten days, ending on the fourteenth day of the fortnight.

The festival is celebrated by families at home, by people at their places of work and in public. The public celebration involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals (temporary shrines) and group worship. At home, an appropriately-sized clay image is installed and worshiped with family and friends. At the end of the festival, the idols are immersed in a large body of water such as the sea, river or a lake. The clay idols disintegrate over time in the water.

It is celebrated throughout India, especially in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. There is a grand celebration in the state of Maharashtra and Telangana by traditional instrument called dhol and tasha. It is also celebrated in the other parts of India such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa,Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and other parts of western and southern India. Abroad, Ganesha Chaturthi is observed in Nepal and by the Hindu diaspora in The United States, Canada and Mauritius. All the big Ganesh statues are made in Andhra Pradesh.