Tilak and Swaraj

Ganesh Chaturthi festivities began in Mumbai on September 14 and continue till September 25, when the city’s beloved elephant-headed God and Remover of Obstacles is immersed in the sea. Revolutionary freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak introduced the festival with its public worship to rouse the masses against British colonial rule. The revolutionary and the messaging of the festival continue to hold meaning in contemporary India.