According to the Hindi tradition, the god Ganesha with the human body and elephant head has the power to remove obstacles. It is known as one of the popular gods of India. The believers use to donate milk drinks at Ganesha's shrines as well as at their houses.
The Ganesha festival is held once a year in August or September. The dates varies according to the Hindi calendar. Mass of Hindis participates in huge parades and with sound systems, drums and gongs celebrate the god's holiday with strong noise.
One of the important acts in the parade is to carry huge elephant statues that are made of clay. The preparations of the statues take about 2-3 months.
A statue can be up to 10 meters high. The parade, that is the final act of the festival, arrives to the sea or river shore and in an impressive ceremony the believers drown the clay statues in the water to melt.
Some of the statues are so huge that they are carried to the water on heavy vehicles. The festival is celebrated by millions all over India.
| 
Cities
