The five-day festival is going on till Saturday (Sept 18) at Srimant Ganapati Ganesha Shrine in Rawai, where Hindu religious programs and Thai-Indian cultural events will be taking place.

The event took place in Phuket Old Town on Monday evening in front of Phuket Vice Governor Romdon Haiyawaa. In addition, Representatives from Phuket City Municipality, the Indian Embassy and the private sector were also present.

The festival is running under the theme “Bridge of Faith and Culture”, where the organisers hope to spread Indian religious tradition, music, art and culture and to bring awareness of Phuket’s multicultural tradition.

The major attraction on the first day was the procession of the image of Lord Ganesha in Phuket Old Town. The march was accompanied by two Dhol-Tasha drum troupes from India, with over 50 musicians participating in the performances, as well as religious observance and cultural activities.

The programme will be held for the rest of the day on Tuesday (Sept 15) with the Rishi Panchami ceremony, chanting of Atharvashirsha and Ganesh Yag.

On Wednesday (Sept 16), more Ganesh Yag ceremonies and cultural events will be organised.

The 56 Bhog Seva, offering of 56 auspicious food items, will take place on Thursday (Sept 17) with a special performance from India.

The festival will end with Ganesh Visarjan on Friday (Sept 18).

At the end of the festival, devotees will take the image of Lord Ganesha from the shrine to Rawai beach for the traditional immersion ceremony, which symbolises the return of Lord Ganesha to his divine abode.

The Srimant Ganapati Ganesha Shrine in Rawai has an image of Lord Ganpati inspired by the Srimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati of Pune, Maharashtra, India.

The festival is not only for religious purposes but also to highlight the historical and cultural values of Phuket, which are present in the city beyond the beaches and tourism spots, Mr Romdon said.