MOSCOW , September 23Moscow Hindus celebrated a holiday dedicated to Ganesha, organized by the Indian cultural and national center «SITA».
Ganesha, an elephant-headed deity, is the Hindu god of wisdom and prosperity. It is believed that it brings good luck, removes obstacles, patronizes the sciences, arts, writing and scholarship, and cleanses bad karma. The celebration lasted from September 19 to 23. All these days, special rituals were performed in front of the Ganesha statue: they read mantras and prayers, offered offerings to the deity, and washed the statue. All this was accompanied by colorful concerts, performances by music and dance groups. Members of the Indian diaspora in Moscow took an active part in the celebration, said Pandit Sudesh Balu, who came specially from Mumbai.
«These are Indian students, businessmen, housewives, children. We started celebrating this holiday in Moscow in 2015 and today we celebrate it for the ninth time,» he said.
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most spectacular festivals in India. It lasts 10 days and ends on the full moon with a grand procession with Ganesha statues decorated with flowers and garlands. According to tradition, the culmination of the festival is «Ganesha visarjan» or «immersion of Ganesha», during which the image of the deity is immersed in bodies of water.
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