According to the Hindu calendar, the festival starts on the fourth day of the shukla paksha (the fourth day of the moon’s waxing) in the month of ‘Bhadarva’, which falls either in August end or the beginning of September.
During the month of ‘shravan’ preceding the festival, Goa’s Hindus swear off fish and meat in honour of the breeding season that the rains usher in. They feast instead on the bounty of the land; forest mushrooms are sold by the hundreds at traditional markets like Mapusa; pumpkin curries cook on home fires. Idols of the lovable God adorn homes and pandals in streets with the whole community participating in ten days of worship.
As the light of the last day wanes, the Ganesha idols are immersed in water. While the idols sink to the bottom, Goans savour their first slice of fish in a month, doused with coconut, chilli and turmeric.