Ganesha revered and celebrated across Asia

Ganesha, also known by the names Ganapati, Ekadanta, Vinayaka, Pillaiyar and Heramba, is one of the most popular deities for worship in Hinduism.

He is depicted with an elephant’s head on a human body, and in the Hindu tradition, Ganesha is the son of Lord Siva and the goddess Parvati.

He is known as the Remover of Obstacles and is prayed to particularly when people are beginning a new enterprise or starting a new business. Ganesha is also known as the patron god of travelling.

The ten day-long Ganesha Chaturthi festival is celebrated around the world to mark the birthday of Ganesha, and routinely ends with the submerging of clay idols in the nearest body of water.

However, some iterations of the event have been criticised for its environmental impact.