In Mumbai one can often forget the meaning of the word rest. And it makes sense that this hustle translates to the city’s biggest festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, when the city literally comes alive as it dances in the worship of the Lord.

The flip side of the coin is the aftermath of this festival. Activists have long argued about the environmental damage caused by the traditional visarjan (immersion) of Ganpati idols into the sea. But last week, as Bombay High Court gave a go-ahead to immersion of idols that are taller than 6 feet to be immersed into the sea, a big part of the city may be celebrating, but another side breathes a sigh of frustration, pondering the ecological damage this will cause.

Historian Sandeep Dahisarkar says, “The story goes that when Lokmanya Tilak saw how Ganpati brought people together in Gwalior, he wanted to revive it in Maharashtra to bring people together.”