Monsoon festival · Ganesha

Ganesh Chaturthi (Vinayaka Chaturthi)

Welcoming Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, home for a few days of worship and modaks.

Ganesh Chaturthi marks the birth of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of beginnings, wisdom and the removal of obstacles. It falls on the fourth lunar day of the waxing moon (Shukla Chaturthi) in the month of Bhadrapada. Families and community groups install a clay idol of Ganesha, worship him for one to ten days, and then immerse the idol in water (visarjan).

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Ganesh Chaturthi

Date: Sat, 4 Sept, 2027
Tithi: Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi
Madhyahna Ganesh Puja: 11:04 AM – 12:26 PM
Deity: Ganesha

Times for New Delhi. Change the city below.

When to do the puja

Ganesh Chaturthi muhurat and timings

Timings for New Delhi, Delhi

Date

Sat, 4 Sept, 2027

Tithi at sunrise

Chaturthi (Shukla)

Sunrise

06:00 AM

Sunset

06:39 PM

Best time for Ganesh Chaturthi

Madhyahna Ganesh Puja Muhurat

11:04 AM – 12:26 PM

Duration 1 h 22 min

Tithi, nakshatra and key moments

Chaturthi tithi
02:19 PM, 3 Sept – 12:26 PM
Amrit Kaal
08:42 AM – 10:14 AM
Abhijit Muhurat
11:54 AM – 12:45 PM
Amrit Kaal
05:49 AM, 5 Sept – 07:24 AM, 5 Sept

Inauspicious times: avoid starting the puja

Bhadra (Vishti karana)
Moon in Tula: Bhadra is not on earth, so many traditions treat it as milder.
01:17 AM – 12:26 PM
Do not look at the Moon
Seeing the Moon on Ganesh Chaturthi is traditionally avoided (Mithya Dosha).
06:00 AM – 12:26 PM
Gulika Kaal
06:00 AM – 07:35 AM
Rahu Kaal
09:10 AM – 10:45 AM
Yamaganda
01:55 PM – 03:29 PM
Varjyam
08:21 PM – 09:55 PM

Choghadiya for the day and night

Day

Kaal06:00 AM – 07:35 AM
Shubh07:35 AM – 09:10 AM
Rog09:10 AM – 10:45 AM
Udveg10:45 AM – 12:20 PM
Chal12:20 PM – 01:55 PM
Labh01:55 PM – 03:29 PM
Amrit03:29 PM – 05:04 PM
Kaal05:04 PM – 06:39 PM

Night

Labh06:39 PM – 08:04 PM
Udveg08:04 PM – 09:30 PM
Shubh09:30 PM – 10:55 PM
Amrit10:55 PM – 12:20 AM, 5 Sept
Chal12:20 AM, 5 Sept – 01:45 AM, 5 Sept
Rog01:45 AM, 5 Sept – 03:10 AM, 5 Sept
Kaal03:10 AM, 5 Sept – 04:35 AM, 5 Sept
Labh04:35 AM, 5 Sept – 06:00 AM, 5 Sept

Calculated for New Delhi, Delhi, India (sidereal Lahiri, local sunrise). Regional and family traditions can differ by a day or in the exact window; follow your family priest where they differ.

Meaning

Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesha is worshipped first before almost every Hindu ritual, journey or new venture, because he is believed to clear the path ahead. On Ganesh Chaturthi he is welcomed as a guest into the home, cared for with daily worship and offerings, and then lovingly sent off with the hope that he will return the next year.

Tradition holds that Ganesha was born at midday, so the installation and main worship (Ganesh Sthapana) are done during the Madhyahna Ganesh Puja Muhurat shown above. The festival also carries a well-known caution: one should not look at the Moon on this night. This page shows the time to avoid seeing the Moon for your city.

The festival has a strong community side. Public celebrations by neighbourhood groups (sarvajanik mandals) grew in the 1890s when Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak encouraged them as a way to bring people together. Today the immersion, the music and the shared prasad make it one of India's most widely celebrated festivals.

The story

Goddess Parvati, wishing for a guard while she bathed, shaped a boy from the turmeric paste on her body and gave him life. She asked him to let no one in. When Shiva returned home, the boy, not knowing who he was, blocked the way. In the fight that followed, Shiva cut off the boy's head. Parvati was overcome with grief, and to console her Shiva promised to restore the child. His attendants brought back the head of the first creature they found, an elephant, and Shiva placed it on the boy and brought him back to life. He made him the leader of his attendants (Ganapati) and declared that he would be worshipped before all other gods.

Another story explains why the Moon is avoided on this night. Ganesha, riding his mouse after a large meal of modaks, stumbled and fell, and the Moon laughed at him. Ganesha declared that anyone who looked at the Moon on this Chaturthi would face false accusations (Mithya Dosha, also called Kalank). It is said that even Krishna, after seeing the Moon on this night, was wrongly accused of stealing the precious Syamantaka gem, and cleared his name only after recovering it.

One festival, many traditions

How Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated across India

Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune and across the state)

Known as Ganeshotsav

Families bring home a clay idol, install it with a prayer to invoke the deity (pranapratishtha) and keep it for one and a half, five, seven or ten days, offering steamed sweet dumplings (ukadiche modak) and singing the aarti Sukhakarta Dukhaharta every morning and evening. Neighbourhood groups (sarvajanik mandals) set up large idols in decorated pandals with cultural programmes. On the final day, Anant Chaturdashi, huge processions carry the idols to the sea, rivers and lakes for immersion to the sound of drums and chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya.

Why it matters there: The public festival was popularised by Lokmanya Tilak during the freedom movement to unite people across castes and classes, and Maharashtra remains its heartland.

Goa and the Konkan coast

Known as Chavath

Chavath is above all a family festival, with relatives returning to the ancestral house. A wooden canopy called the matoli is hung above the idol and decorated with fruits, vegetables, gourds, flowers and forest produce from the season. Sweets such as neureos (stuffed fried pastries) and modaks are prepared, and the idol is usually immersed after one and a half, five or seven days.

Why it matters there: The matoli is a thanksgiving for the monsoon harvest, offering Ganesha the first fruits of the land.

Karnataka

Known as Gowri-Ganesha Habba

The day before Ganesh Chaturthi is Gowri Habba, when married women worship Goddess Gowri (Parvati) and exchange auspicious offerings called bagina, made up of turmeric, kumkum, bangles, a blouse piece, coconut and grains. The next day Ganesha, seen as Gowri's son coming to fetch her, is worshipped with modaks and kadubu (steamed dumplings). Mother and son are often immersed together.

Why it matters there: The pairing of Gowri and Ganesha reflects the bond between mother and child and is closely tied to married women's prayers for family wellbeing.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Known as Vinayaka Chavithi

In homes, Ganesha is worshipped with twenty-one kinds of leaves (Ekavimshati Patra Puja), and steamed rice-flour sweets such as undrallu and kudumulu are offered. After the puja the family reads the Vinayaka Vrata Katha, which includes the story of Krishna and the Syamantaka gem, and places a few grains of rice (akshata) on their heads. Hyderabad is known for very tall community idols, the most famous being the Khairatabad Ganesh, and for large immersion processions.

Why it matters there: Reading or hearing the Syamantaka story is traditionally believed to remove the blame of having seen the Moon on this night.

Tamil Nadu

Known as Vinayagar Chathurthi

Families buy a small clay idol of Pillaiyar (Ganesha), often with a little paper umbrella, on the morning of the festival. It is worshipped with arugampul (durva grass), erukkam flower garlands and sweet and savoury steamed dumplings (kozhukattai), along with sundal and fruit. The idol is usually immersed in a water body or well within a few days.

Why it matters there: Pillaiyar is one of the most familiar deities in Tamil homes and roadside shrines, and the festival is a warm household celebration.

Step by step

Ganesh Chaturthi puja vidhi

1
Before the day, choose a clay (shadu or natural clay) idol of a size you can easily immerse at home or in a designated tank. Clean the puja space and set up a raised platform covered with a red or yellow cloth.
2
On the morning of Chaturthi, bathe, wear clean clothes and decorate the area with flowers, rangoli and a mango-leaf string (toran).
3
During the Madhyahna Ganesh Puja Muhurat shown above, take a vow (sankalp), stating your name, the purpose of the puja and how many days Ganesha will stay.
4
Place a kalash (pot of water with mango leaves and a coconut) beside the platform, then install the idol facing east or north if possible.
5
Invite Ganesha into the idol with a short prayer (pranapratishtha). If no priest is present, sincerely chanting Om Gan Ganapataye Namah while offering flowers is enough.
6
Offer water to wash his feet and hands, sprinkle water for a symbolic bath, then apply sandalwood paste, kumkum and akshata (unbroken rice with turmeric).
7
Offer red flowers, a garland, 21 blades of durva grass (in small bunches), and shami leaves if available.
8
Offer naivedya: 21 modaks or ladoos, fruits, jaggery and coconut. Light incense and a ghee lamp.
9
Perform aarti together as a family, then read or tell the story of Ganesha's birth and, if you wish, the Syamantaka story.
10
Repeat a short morning and evening puja with aarti and fresh offerings for each day Ganesha stays at home.
11
On the final day, do a farewell puja (uttarpuja), offer curd rice or modaks for the journey, and ask forgiveness for any mistakes in worship.
12
Immerse the idol (visarjan) in a bucket or tub of water at home, or at an official artificial pond. Use the dissolved clay water for your garden or plants.

Om Gan Ganapataye Namah

I bow to Ganapati, the lord of all beings. A short mantra for invoking Ganesha at the start of any worship.

Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha, Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarvakaryeshu Sarvada

O Lord with the curved trunk and mighty form, radiant as a million suns, please keep all my work free of obstacles, always.

Simhah Prasenam Avadhit Simho Jambavata Hatah, Sukumaraka Ma Rodis Tava Hy Esha Syamantakah

The lion killed Prasena, and the lion was killed by Jambavan; do not cry, dear child, this Syamantaka gem is yours. Traditionally recited by anyone who has seen the Moon by mistake on this night.

What you need

Puja samagri (items)

Clay idol of Ganesha (eco-friendly, unpainted or natural-colour)
Raised platform (chowki) and red or yellow cloth
Kalash with mango leaves and a coconut
Durva grass, 21 blades or bunches
Red flowers such as hibiscus and a flower garland
Shami leaves (optional)
Modaks or ladoos, 21 if possible
Fruits, jaggery and coconut
Sandalwood paste (chandan) and kumkum
Akshata: unbroken rice mixed with turmeric
Janeu (sacred thread) for the idol, as per family custom
Ghee lamp (diya) and cotton wicks
Incense sticks and camphor
Betel leaves (paan) and betel nut (supari)
Water in a small pot (lota), with a spoon
Mango-leaf toran and rangoli colours for decoration

Fasting

Ganesh Chaturthi vrat rules

Fasting is optional on Ganesh Chaturthi. Many devotees take only fruit, milk and water until the midday puja, then eat prasad and a simple vegetarian meal.
Some keep a fruit fast (phalahar) for the whole day, avoiding grains, onion and garlic.
Children, elders, people with health conditions and pregnant or breastfeeding women need not fast; joining the puja is enough. Consult your doctor if unsure. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
The fast, if kept, is broken after the Madhyahna puja with the modak prasad, or in the evening after aarti, depending on family custom.

Do's and don'ts

What to do, and what to avoid

Do

Install and worship Ganesha during the Madhyahna Ganesh Puja Muhurat shown for your city.
Choose a natural clay idol without chemical paints, sized for immersion at home or in an artificial pond.
Offer durva grass, red flowers and modaks, which are traditionally dear to Ganesha.
Keep the idol's space clean and offer a simple puja and aarti every morning and evening while he stays.
Involve children in making decorations and telling the story of Ganesha.
Follow local rules for immersion, avoid loud music late at night, and help clean up after the procession.
If you see the Moon by mistake, recite or listen to the Syamantaka story or verse calmly; there is no need for worry.

Avoid (inauspicious)

Do not look at the Moon during the time to avoid seeing the Moon shown for your city, which traditionally brings false blame (Mithya Dosha or Kalank).
Avoid installing the idol or starting the main puja during Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda or Gulika, which are listed on this page.
Do not offer tulsi leaves to Ganesha; by tradition they are not used in his worship.
Do not buy idols made of plaster of Paris or painted with chemical colours, as they pollute rivers, lakes and the sea.
Do not leave the idol unattended or the lamp burning unsafely; keep flames away from cloth and decorations.
Avoid non-vegetarian food, alcohol and quarrels while Ganesha is at home.
Do not immerse idols, flowers or plastic decorations in natural water bodies where the local authority has provided artificial ponds.

Common questions

Ganesh Chaturthi FAQs

Why should we not look at the Moon on Ganesh Chaturthi?

According to tradition, Ganesha cursed the Moon for laughing at him, saying that anyone who saw it on this Chaturthi would face false accusations. This page shows the time to avoid seeing the Moon for your city. If you see it by mistake, the custom is to recite the Syamantaka verse or listen to the story of Krishna and the Syamantaka gem.

What is the best time to install the Ganesha idol?

The installation and main puja are traditionally done at midday, during the Madhyahna Ganesh Puja Muhurat shown above, because Ganesha is believed to have been born at that time. Avoid Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika if they overlap. If the midday window is not possible, perform the puja as close to it as you can with a sincere heart.

How many days should Ganesha stay at home?

Families choose one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days according to their custom and convenience. The longest observance ends on Anant Chaturdashi. Any duration is fine as long as daily worship is kept while the idol is at home.

How can we do an eco-friendly visarjan?

Use an unpainted natural clay idol and immerse it in a bucket or tub of water at home, then pour the dissolved clay into your garden or potted plants. Many cities also set up artificial ponds for immersion. Keep flowers and decorations for composting rather than throwing them into rivers or the sea.

Why are modaks and durva grass offered to Ganesha?

Modaks are described as Ganesha's favourite sweet and stand for the sweetness of inner knowledge. Durva grass is traditionally said to have cooled Ganesha after he swallowed a fiery demon, and is offered in odd-numbered bunches, most often 21.

Can we bring Ganesha home if there has been a recent death in the family?

Many families follow a mourning period (sutak) during which festive installations are skipped, and some skip the year entirely. Customs vary widely by community, so it is best to follow your family's practice or ask your family priest.