A little earlier than usual (it’s generally the first weekend in September) our favourite Parisian Indian parade is being held on 31st August this year. Read on for all the details…

all photos: (c) www.templeganesh.fr

Are you looking for exoticism, colour, noise, good vibes, great food and a 70 kilo life-size statue of an elephant made out of resin? Good for you! The Ganesh Festival is where you’ll find them all, and a whole lot more.

This yearly event gives a wonderful glimpse into another culture, allowing you to sample its rites, its music and its positive attitude… plus surprising and impressive displays of mass coconut smashing (now there’s something you don’t see every day!). The coconut symbolises the “illusion of the world”, the husk being ‘individual karma’ and the milk ‘the human ego’. “By breaking the coconut, one offers one’s heart to Ganesha,” says (all in French I’m afraid).

You’ll also get the chance to see the new five-headed Ganesh statue (Pañchamukha Ganesha). The heads symbolise the five Mahābhūta: earth, water, fire, air and the ether…

And the organisers are also quite proud of their life-size resin sculpture of an elephant, pulled along on its very own float.

Flute players, dancers adorned with peacock feathers, women with burning pots of camphor on their heads, free food given out along the route (and great restaurants to try out if you want something more substantial)… not to be missed!

The whole thing takes place between 11am and 3pm, starting and ending at the Indian temple at 72 rue Philippe de Girard (not far from métro La Chapelle, line 2). Some of the streets taken can be very narrow, and we prefer to stay near La Chapelle and see the coconut smashing without getting soaked!

Despite having already been many times, we still love this amazing event! Check out last years’ photos here then go and see for yourself!

The Fête de Ganesh is on Sunday 31st August 2008 from 11am – 3pm around La Chapelle in Paris