Ganesh Chaturthi, the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad, is the birthday of Ganesha. The public festival belongs to Maharashtra, but in recent decades it has spread through the cities of the north: clay images are brought home or set up in neighbourhood pandals, worshipped with modak and durva grass for up to ten days, and taken to a river or tank on Anant Chaturdashi.
The story
Parvati made a boy from the scurf of her body and posted him at her door. He stopped Shiva himself, and lost his head for it; the head of an elephant was set on his shoulders and he was named first among the gods, to be invoked before any undertaking.
In the north the day is also Kalank Chaturthi or Patthar Chauth: seeing the Moon tonight is said to bring a false accusation, as it did even to Krishna over the Syamantak jewel.
गजाननं भूतगणादिसेवितं कपित्थजम्बूफलचारुभक्षणम् । उमासुतं शोकविनाशकारकं नमामि विघ्नेश्वरपादपङ्कजम् ॥
Elephant-faced, served by the hosts of spirits, who relishes wood-apple and jamun; son of Uma, destroyer of sorrow: I bow at the lotus feet of the lord of obstacles
A verse said at the start of worship
How it is kept
- SthapanaThe image is installed at midday with the invocation of life into it.
- Modak and durvaTwenty-one modak or laddoos and twenty-one blades of durva grass are offered.
- Not looking at the MoonThose who see it by accident listen to the story of the Syamantak jewel.
- AratiMorning and evening, the whole lane gathers; "Jai Ganesh Deva" is the one everybody knows.
- VisarjanAfter one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days the image is immersed, with the cry that he come early next year.
Why this date
Ganesh Chaturthi is the Chaturthi of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad, on the day it is present at midday, the hour at which he is worshipped.
Ganesh Chaturthi in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday | |
| 2027 | Saturday | |
| 2028 | Wednesday | |
| 2029 | Tuesday | |
| 2030 | Sunday | |
| 2031 | Saturday |
More North Indian festivals
24 AugustKrishna Janmashtamiश्री कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी
7 OctoberDurga Ashtamiदुर्गा अष्टमी
17 AugustRaksha Bandhanरक्षा बंधन
8 OctoberMaha Navamiमहा नवमी
18 JulyGuru Purnimaगुरु पूर्णिमा
9 OctoberDussehraदशहरा
Where to see Ganesh Chaturthi
In North India
- Khajrana Ganesh Temple, IndoreMadhya PradeshBuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar; ten days of festival and a mountain of laddoos.
- Moti Dungri, JaipurRajasthanThe city's favourite Ganesha, at the foot of a small hill fort.
- Trinetra Ganesh, RanthamboreRajasthanA temple inside the fort, where the Ganesh fair gathers; families post him the first wedding invitation.
Across India
- Lalbaugcha Raja, MumbaiMaharashtraThe most famous public Ganesha in the country.
- Dagadusheth Ganapati, PuneMaharashtraIn the city where the public festival began.
- Khairatabad, HyderabadTelanganaA new giant image each year, sixty feet and more.