The 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival started in Maharashtra and elsewhere in the country on Wednesday with the coronavirus pandemic no longer casting its shadow on the celebrations.
The idols of Lord Ganesh, the god of prosperity and wisdom and a slayer of obstacles ('vighna-harta'), will be installed in homes across the state with pomp and gaiety.
The pandemic-induced restrictions, now lifted, had curtailed the celebration in the last two years, hence the public celebration of the festival in roadside Ganesh pandals is expected to be on a bigger scale this year.
The public celebration of the festival in Maharashtra dates back to the 1890s when the nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak and others decided to use it to mobilize the masses.
Ganesh mandals in Mumbai and other major cities of Maharashtra took large idols in processions accompanied by dhol-tasha beats to their pandals in the last few days.
Household Ganpatis were brought mostly on Tuesday night or in the morning with chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya'.
Devotees thronged vegetable and flower markets, sweet shops and roadside stalls for buying flowers, puja materials, sweets and decorative items.
Political leaders and film and television personalities also welcomed the deity to their homes.
Ganesh festival starts in Pune; 'mandals' take out processions
The Ganesh Chaturthi festival began in Pune on Wednesday amid usual fanfare with prominent Ganesh mandals or the groups taking out big processions to welcome the lord.
Traditional Dhol-Tasha (drum) troupes accompanied the processions which began around 10 in the morning.
The celebrations were a low-key affair due to the COVID-19 restrictions in the last two years when the processions were banned.
Following a grand procession, the 'pranpratishtha' (consecration) of Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati, one of the most prominent Ganesh in the city, was performed in a pandal which is a replica of the Panch Kedar temple.
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated with traditional fervour in Telangana
Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated with religious fervour across Telangana on Wednesday with devotees visiting temples and performing 'puja' at homes.
Ganesh Chaturthi is known as Vinayaka Chavithi in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
With fears of COVID-19 waning, the traditional Chaturthi fervour is back in Hyderabad and elsewhere in Telangana this year with a large number of Vinakaya idols being installed for worship in residential localities.
Efforts of the authorities and citizens to popularise clay idols for worship during the 11-day long festivities appeared to have borne fruit with many devotees preferring clay idols.
Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrated in TN with fervour and piety
Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday with religious fervour as devotees flocked to various Vinayaka temples in the state for offering special prayers.
The festival is more popularly known as Vinayaka Chaturthi in the state. Popular temples including the one at Pillaiyarpatti in Sivaganga district held special prayers to mark the day, while a huge kozhukattai (steamed dumpling) was offered at the Uchipillaiyar shrine atop the Rockfort in Tiruchirappalli.
In households, people offered prayers to Ganesh idols made of clay, in line with the traditions.
Rajasthan man to give away 500 clay Ganesha idols
Pained by the sight of broken plaster of Paris Ganesha idols lying scattered at river banks after Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, a man here is making 500 clay sculptures of the elephant-headed god that he will be distributing for free.
The 10-day-long festival of Ganesh Chaturthi began on Wednesday.
Nimish Gautam, 25, who works at a coaching institute, claimed he distributed at least 250 eco-friendly Ganesha idols last year and has doubled the target this year.
The environment conservation enthusiast said plaster of Paris idols are harmful to the environment.
Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrated in Puducherry
Vinayaka Chaturthi was celebrated in Puducherry on Wednesday with religious fervour and spiritual gaiety.
People from within the union territory and neighbouring Tamil Nadu districts made a beeline to the famous shrine of Manakula Vinayakar in the heart of this town to offer prayers to the presiding deity. 
Elaborate arrangements were made for the flow of the devotees right from early morning at the temple.
Clay models of Lord Ganesha made by rural artisans in and around Puducherry were selling like hot cakes.
