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Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered in the French capital Sunday to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with a colourful procession.

The Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam temple in La Chapelle, a neighbourhood with a large South Asian community, organised the annual Ganesh Festival. The Paris Tourist Office describes the temple as France’s largest Hindu temple.

The celebrations began with prayers and religious ceremonies at the temple, before devotees took to the streets for the procession. A statue of Lord Ganesha was carried on a decorated chariot covered with flowers, garlands, coconuts and other traditional adornments.

Singers, dancers and musicians accompanied the procession, while sweets, blessed offerings and cold drinks were distributed along the route.

The Ganesh Festival has been held in the area for decades and has become an annual fixture in Paris, attracting not just devotees but also visitors keen to witness Indian culture and Hindu traditions.

A ritual during the procession involves breaking coconuts in front of the deity’s chariot. Videos from this year’s event showed devotees smashing coconuts with force as the chariot moved through the streets. Some Paris residents were also seen stopping to watch the procession and taking photographs.

The clips quickly spread across social media, with the coconut-breaking ritual becoming a talking point. Several users questioned the practice and raised concerns about how such public celebrations could affect perceptions of Indians and the wider diaspora.

“Boomer indian diaspora uncles and aunts just making sure next gen Indians are hated enough when considering for jobs,” one user wrote.

“First reaction a bit shocked but…. more importantly I REALLY REALLY hope this was cleaned up after,” another user wrote.

“It’s good to have faith in God Almighty but i sincerely hope that they cleaned up after themselves,” added another.

The debate also took an immigration-focused turn. “Yeah I can see more visas getting cancelled for Indians in the future…” said another user.

However, one user said they participate in the procession every year and the streets are cleaned afterwards.

“Everyone needs to take a deep breath. This happens every year in Paris in collaboration with the city council, and the police, red cross and cleaning facilities all collaborate with the organizers to ensure a smooth procession. It brings people from near and far alike and it is a beautiful moment to witness,” a user wrote.

“The day after the procession you wouldn’t even know such a celebration had taken place. People partake in it with responsibility. So keep your insecurities to yourself and learn from this. Yours, an Indian living in Paris who has been participating in this for over 5 years,” the user added.