The festival remembers Ganesha's birthday, and celebrates him as the god of good beginnings, prosperity and obstacle remover.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2017 will begin on
Friday, 25 August

It is observed throughout India, especially as a public event in the western states of India such as Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh

The primary sweet dish during the festival is modak (modak in Marathi and Konkani, modakam or kudumu in Telugu, modaka or kadubu in Kannada, kozhakatta or modakkam in Malayalam and kozhukattai or modagam in Tamil).

Ganesha appears in the medieval Puranas, but not as "trouble maker", but in the form of "god of success, obstacle remover". The Skanda Purana, Narada Purana and the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, in particular, profusely praise him.

and ends on
Tuesday, 5 September