Worshippers of India’s elephant god Ganesha throng markets to shop for the god’s idols as the first day of ten-day long Ganesh Chaturthi festival kicks off. "I feel people basically speak to Ganesha, they have an emotional bond with him and whenever Ganesha is at home for ten days, for five days, for two days also, he gives us a lot of blessings," says devotee Jaskirat. Devotees then take the colorful idols home to perform prayer rituals in the coming days. The festival climaxes on the tenth day where worshippers carry the idols to bodies of water, including the Arabian Sea, to immerse the elephant gods and bid farewell to the deity. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES