Ganesh Chaturthi, the 10-day-long festival dedicated to Lord Ganesh, will be observed on August 31 this year.
It is celebrated every year on the fourth day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month Bhadrapada.
This is one of the biggest festivals in India, especially in Maharashtra and is celebrated with great pomp across the country.
Ganesh Chaturthi marks the birth of the Hindu elephant-headed God, Lord Ganesh, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
It is believed that Lord Ganesh was born in the Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapada month so the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is observed every year during the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada.
Shhodashopachara is a ritual of Ganesh Chaturthi that involves 16 forms of paying tribute to Lord Ganesh.