About Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi, celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is worshipped as Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles, and as the lord of wisdom and new beginnings. According to the Puranas, Parvati shaped him from turmeric paste and gave him life, and after an encounter with Shiva he received the head of an elephant and the blessing of being worshipped first in every ritual.
Families bring home a clay idol of Ganesha and perform Prana Pratishtha to invite his presence. He is then worshipped with durva grass, red flowers and his favourite modaks for one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days, after which the idol is immersed in water with the chant "Ganpati Bappa Morya". The grand public celebrations of Maharashtra were popularised by Lokmanya Tilak, and the festival is also deeply loved in Goa, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. By tradition, devotees avoid looking at the moon on this night.
How it is observed
- Installing a clay Ganesha idol at home with Prana Pratishtha
- Offering durva grass, red flowers and modaks during daily puja and aarti
- Visiting community pandals and joining cultural programmes
- Performing visarjan on the chosen day, up to Anant Chaturdashi
- Choosing eco-friendly idols and immersing them in tanks or buckets at home
Ganesh Chaturthi dates in past and coming years
| Year | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Saturday, 7 September 2024 | Past |
| 2025 | Wednesday, 27 August 2025 | Past |
| 2026 | Monday, 14 September 2026 | Past |
| 2027 | Saturday, 4 September 2027 | Next |
| 2028 | Wednesday, 23 August 2028 | Upcoming |
| 2029 | Tuesday, 11 September 2029 | Upcoming |
| 2030 | Sunday, 1 September 2030 | Upcoming |
Dates are calculated from the Panchang for New Delhi. Some regions may observe a day earlier or later.
Across India
Celebrated widely in: Maharashtra Karnataka Andhra Pradesh Telangana Gujarat Tamil Nadu Madhya Pradesh Delhi
The same season is marked in many ways. Where a region keeps the festival on a different day, its calculated date is shown.
Maharashtra
Ganeshotsav
Grand public pandals in Mumbai and Pune, such as Lalbaug, draw millions over ten days, ending with immersion processions on Anant Chaturdashi.
Goa
Chavath
Konkani families bring Ganesha home under a matoli, a canopy of fruits and forest produce, and gather for family worship.
Karnataka
Gowri Ganesha Habba
Goddess Gowri is worshipped first, and Ganesha follows the next day with modaks and kadubu.
Date: Friday, 3 September 2027
Tamil Nadu
Vinayaka Chaturthi
Families worship small clay Vinayaka idols at home and offer kozhukattai (steamed rice dumplings).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
Vinayaka Chavithi
Families worship Ganesha with 21 kinds of leaves, and Hyderabad's giant Khairatabad Ganesh draws huge crowds.
Tradition advises avoiding sighting the moon on Chaturthi night, recalling the Syamantaka story.
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