The 2015 Ganapati Festival in Mumbai

MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA - 2015/09/27: A large number of people crowd at Girgaum CHowpatty beach in Mumbai on the occasion of the immersion of lord Ganesha. Ganesha Chaturthi or Ganapati festival is celebrated in honour of the elephant-headed god Ganesha with much pomp and vigour in Maharastra, particularly Pune and Mumbai. It continues for ten days when people pay respect to the deity both at home and public pavilions. The festival ends when the idols are immersed in a body of water. Though the origin of the festival remains unknown, it was first popularized by Shivaji in Pune and later revived by Lokmanya Tilak as a public event to generate nationalistic fervor during Indias struggle for Independence. (Photo by Subhendu Sarkar/LightRocket via Getty Images)