A crane was used for a particularly elephantine idol

But in the state of Assam the celebrations were marred on the first day by tragedy.

Two elephants were being herded across a bridge over the river Brahmaputra in Guwahati, the state capital, in the early hours of the morning when a speeding bus ran into them.

The driver of the bus, which had come from the state of Nagaland, was killed along with the two animals.

Reports from the scene said that the elephants' two Mahouts, or trainers, were thrown into the river.