NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 29, 2017 (Indian Express): Though the torrential rains in Mumbai have dampened the spirit a bit, nothing comes in between Lord Ganesha and his devotees, especially during Ganesh Chaturthi. While many parts of the city were flooded on Tuesday (August 29), people still managed to ferry Ganesha statues across to be immersed, and many visarjans took place at night when the rain had somewhat subsided. But, it seems, Mumbai – or even India – is not the only place that Ganpati Bappa or Ganesh Chaturthi is held in such reverence. Fly over to the other side of the globe, and you will find that the ritual of Ganesha visarjan holds equal importance in the city of Ceuta, Spain.
If, in India, the festival brings together people of all caste, class and religion as they collective welcome, worship and bid farewell annually to their beloved elephant-headed Deity, in Spain, it brings people from different cultures together as Indians and Spaniards collectively celebrate the festival. Interestingly, this is not the first time that Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated in Ceuta, this has been a tradition for many years now. Much like in India, people bring a statue of Ganesha home to worship, and then on the day of the immersion, there is an elaborate and fun-filled procession that walks through the streets towards the Mediterranean Sea. People then get on to various boats, and set off into the sea, where the statues are then immersed into the water.
HPI adds: at one part in the procession, the Ganesha Deity is taken to a Catholic Church where offerings are made to a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Photos at “source” above. Full video of the festivities at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGMsFpHtpk8. Ganesha’s visit to the church starts at 18:53 where the Deity is first brought to the doorway, then to the main altar, all accompanied by singing and clapping.