Devotees flock to Mumbai and Hyderabad as Ganesh Chaturthi begins

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.