Ganesh Chaturthi 2026

September 14th – September 23rd, 2026

September 2026 Ganesha

Ganesh Chaturthi welcomes Ganesha — remover of obstacles, lord of beginnings — into the home as a guest. A murti is installed (sthapana) on the Chaturthi of Bhadrapada's bright fortnight, worshipped daily with his beloved modak, and then, after a stay of one-and-a-half, three, five, seven, or ten days by family tradition, farewelled in the visarjan immersion with the cry 'Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi laukar ya' — come again early next year.

The festival's public grandeur — the great community pandals, processions, and music — grew in Maharashtra, where Ganesh Chaturthi became the shared festival of entire cities; the household observance it magnifies remains beautifully simple: a guest arrives, is honored, and is walked home.

Key facts

Dates: September 14th – September 23rd, 2026 (10-day observance)
Ruling deities: Ganesha
Fasting: phalahar
Regional names: Ganesh Chaturthi (north), Vinayaka Chaturthi (south), Ganesh Chaturthi (east), Ganesh Chaturthi (west)

How it is observed

Sthapana on Chaturthi: the murti installed on a decorated chowki with pran-pratishtha (invocation of presence), followed by shodashopachara worship.
Daily arati morning and evening for the days of Ganesha's stay, with 21 durva grass blades and red flowers — his classical offerings — and modak or laddu as bhog.
The stay is flexible by family tradition — 1.5, 3, 5, 7, or the full 10 days ending on Anant Chaturdashi; each is a complete observance.
Visarjan: a farewell arati, then the immersion procession; households increasingly choose clay murtis and home-bucket or tank immersion so the farewell honors the rivers too.

Frequently asked questions

When is Ganesh Chaturthi in 2026?

Ganesh Chaturthi runs from September 14th, 2026 to September 23rd, 2026 in 2026 — a 10-day observance.

Why is Ganesha's murti immersed at the end?

Visarjan completes the festival's grammar of hospitality: the divine was invoked into a form, honored as a guest, and is now released from the form back to the formless. The immersion is not disposal but send-off — which is why it is done with procession, music, and a promise to welcome him again.

Can a small household keep Ganesh Chaturthi without a murti sthapana?

Yes. Worship of a permanent home Ganesha image, or even a supari (betel nut) or turmeric cone invoked as Ganesha for the day — a fully classical practice — with durva, modak, and arati carries the festival at any scale.

Plan Ganesh Chaturthi with Purohit Ji

Purohit Ji grounds the observance in your own city and Panchang — timings, vidhi, and what to prepare, answered for your home rather than in general.

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