Ganesh Festival at Paris 2023: the parade arrives this Sunday!

Like every year, the Parisian Ganesh temple Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam organizes the Festival of the god Ganesh. This time, the celebration returns to the capital on August 27, 2023. The festival celebrates the birthday of the child god, whose father cut off his head and replaced it with that of an elephant. Lord Ganesh is the son of the deities Shiva and Parvati. A symbol of love and knowledge, this elephant-headed child-god is, for the Hindus, the origin of the world and of all life's events.

His birthday is celebrated with a grand parade in the La Chapelle district. His statue travels the streets on a decorated float, followed by his brother Muruga. He brings blessings along the way!

The Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam temple, the largest Hindu temple in France, is where Ganesh is celebrated every year in the capital. On this festive day, religious ceremonies precede the procession through the streets of the district.

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At the head of the procession are flute, nageshvaram and drum players, as well as male and female dancers carrying the large peacock feather hoop (kavadi) on their shoulders and clay pots burning camphor on their heads.

Coconuts are broken along the way: the shell symbolizes the illusion of the world, the flesh individual Karma, and the water the human ego. By breaking the coconut, you offer your heart to Ganesh. Water from hundreds of coconuts is poured onto the roadway as the Ganesh chariot passes.

Pulled by two large plant-fiber ropes, each twenty meters long, the five-meter-high chariot houses the statue of Ganesh, the elephant-headed god. The float is entirely covered in red and white cloth and decorated with garlands, fresh flowers, whole bunches of bananas, coconuts and areca leaves.

The float is followed by singers and musicians. Blessed offerings, sweets and cold drinks are distributed along the way.

For an overview of the Ganesh Festival in Paris:

This year, thousands of members of the Hindu community from all over France and curious onlookers will therefore not be present for this Ganesh Festival 2023 in Paris!