Ganesh Chaturthi is one of India's most popular Hindu festivals, celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The festival is particularly grand in Maharashtra, but is also widely celebrated in Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and many other parts of India. Devotees bring beautifully crafted clay idols of Lord Ganesha into their homes, temples and elaborately decorated public pandals. The idol is ceremonially installed through prayers and rituals, and devotees offer flowers, fruits, sweets and especially modak, which is traditionally regarded as one of Ganesha's favorite offerings. For several days, communities come together for devotional singing, cultural programs and prayers. The festival concludes with Ganesh Visarjan, when the idol is carried in a grand procession and immersed in water, symbolizing the return of Lord Ganesha to his divine abode and the cycle of creation and dissolution. The festival combines devotion, art, music, community participation and social celebration.