World Religions
Today Hindus across India and elsewhere are celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the most sacred Hindu festivals. It celebrates the birth of the elephant god, Lord Ganesha, the supreme god of wisdom and prosperity.
Lord Ganesha is one of the most popular Hindu gods and is known as both the creator and remover of obstacles.
The festival for Lord Ganesha includes millions of clay statues of the god. You can see how the statues are made in the short clip below from the British Museum.
Google Art and Culture has an excellent slide show explaining the origins of the festival and the significance of the god’s elephant head and broken tusk. It also explains why Ganesha rides a rat!
Other good resources about the festival include:
- The Indian Express: A slideshow of photographs showing how Hindu across India celebrate the festival.
- IndiaToday: What is Ganesh Chaturthi? Why is it celebrated?
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