Ganesha festival begins across India

People in India are holding an annual traditional Hindu festival to honor the elephant-headed god Ganesha.

The event started on Monday with Hindus nationwide flocking to markets. They were there to get Ganesha idols and buy flowers and other religious offerings. The festival celebrates the birth of Ganesha, who is revered as the "remover of obstacles."

A Ganesha idol with five faces, standing about 20-meter-high, was installed in Hyderabad, southern India. People gathered around and danced to the beat of drums. In the western city of Mumbai, a truck transporting an idol was accompanied by chanting devotees. Other people carried idols to their homes as drummers performed.

The festivities conclude with colorful processions and Ganesha idols being immersed in water.