Yearly Ganesh procession in Paris
 Husked coconuts nicely piled up... |
 ...only to be smashed to smithereens later. |
| The video below shows the breaking of husked coconuts during the Ganesh (Ganesha) procession at La Chapelle in Paris on August 31, 2008. What is the significance of the breaking of coconuts? According to Swami Guhabhaktananda, President, Divine Life Society, Malaysia: "The coconut represents the head. When the husk is removed, it is like removing the impurities of the mind. The shell represents the ego. It is said that this shell should be crushed at the feet of the Lord (Ganesha), so that the ego goes away and only the purity of the soul is left." |
 Getting ready for the procession. The starting point is at Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis near La Chapelle. |
 A father and his son perched on the roof of a bus-stop at La Chapelle for an unimpeded view of the procession. |
 The main chariot in the procession to celebrate the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu deity . |
 Women holding claypots containing burning camphor above their heads in the incense-filled air. |