In Mumbai, markets filled with devotees buying Ganesha idols, flowers, sweets and other offerings for the festival dedicated to the elephant-headed god of wisdom and prosperity. Smaller idols were carried home, while larger ones were taken through the streets on decorated trucks, accompanied by drummers and chanting devotees.
Across the city, idols were installed in homes and temporary community shrines known as pandals, including some of Mumbai’s best-known sites such as Lalbaugcha Raja, GSB Seva Mandal and Andhericha Raja.
In Hyderabad, large crowds gathered in the Khairatabad neighbourhood around a 69-foot-tall, five-faced Ganesha idol, one of the festival’s main attractions. The 2026 idol represents Panchamukha Sankatahara Maha Ganapati, with its five faces symbolising the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. It is expected to draw more than 30 lakh, or three million, devotees before its immersion.
Worshippers offered prayers, danced and joined in as drums sounded through the streets, while preparations continued across the city. Telangana’s governor has also been invited to perform the first puja.
The festival marks the birth of Ganesha, who is revered as the remover of obstacles. In 2026, it falls on the Chaturthi tithi of the bright half of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, beginning at 7:06 am on 14 September and ending at 7:44 am on 15 September.
The 10-day celebrations will culminate on Anant Chaturdashi, Friday 25 September, when processions will carry the idols to rivers, lakes and the sea for immersion, symbolising Ganesha’s return to his celestial abode.