The rite of drowning Ganesh in the sea (or a river) is a part of a Hindu Ganesha Chaturthi festival. Its main theme is the birthday of this god with an elephant head, who is seen as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. The celebration takes place between 20 August and 22 September. It is celebrated all over India but is most elaborate in the southern and western parts of the country.
In 2008 we tried to document the rite in Southend , which was a part of the event organised by Gujarati Hindu communities in West London. Although it attracted thousands of people, the representation of Ganesh was tiny and the rite of its immersion was virtually impossible to photograph.
In 2010 we were invited to a similar rite in Clacton organised by the Ganesh Tamil Hindu Temple in Walhamstow (East London). This time the statue was enormous. It was made of clay and beautifully decorated by one of the priests. The weight of the image was around 700 kilograms. Allegedly, it was the first that a large dissolvable statue of Ganesh was produced for the event in the UK.
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