FLUSHING, NEW YORK, September 25, 2015 (Times Ledger): Thousands of Hindu worshipers assembled at the Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam Temple at 45-57 Bowne St. in Flushing Sunday afternoon to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesha, also known as the Destroyer of Obstacles. Ganesha is a God many devout Hindus pray to every morning, and whose power to bring luck, fortune and peace is considered to be vast. The temple is one of the very first large temples in the US.
The celebration began with prayers inside the temple, where many worshipers brought food offerings in exchange for good tidings in the coming year. They then spilled into the street, dressed in their best dhotis and saris, and a holy statue of Ganesha was placed upon a 15-foot silver chariot. The procession then began in earnest.
As the procession made its way back to the temple, the Ganesha statue was dipped in water in a ceremony meant to symbolically dissolve away the sins and problems of those who show their devotion and thanks to the God.