Major Festival · Select a year for the Gregorian date
Ganesh Chaturthi: Date, Sthapana Muhurat and Ten-Day Festival Guide
Lord Ganesha is installed on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. Select a year for sthapana date and visarjan planning.
गणेश चतुर्थी · · Shukla Chaturthi
- Muhurat (2026)
- 10:51 AM to 01:21 PM
- Hindu month
- Bhadrapada
- Regions
- Pan-India, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka
- Deity
- Lord Ganesha (Ganapati, Vinayaka)
Ganesh Chaturthi (Vinayaka Chaturthi) marks the homecoming of Lord Ganesha. Clay murtis are installed with prana pratishtha, worshipped for one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days, and immersed (visarjan) on Anant Chaturdashi or an earlier chosen day. Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu (as Vinayaka Chaturthi) lead public celebrations; pandals in Mumbai and Pune are among the world’s largest street festivals. Offerings include modak, durva grass (21 blades), red flowers, and panchamrit. Use eco-friendly unpainted clay and immerse only at permitted tanks — never in drinking-water lakes.
When is Ganesh Chaturthi?
Ganesh Chaturthi begins on Sunday, 16 August, 2026, Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. The ten-day public festival typically ends with Anant Chaturdashi visarjan (confirm the exact Chaturdashi in your Panchang). Households that keep a 1.5-day vrata immerse the next evening or morning according to local custom. Use the year selector to see any other calendar. Avoid looking at the moon on Chaturthi night if you follow the Ganesh Chaturthi chandra darshan taboo (associated with false accusation in folklore); this is a custom, not a pan-Hindu legal rule.
- Sthapana date: Sunday, 16 August, 2026.
- Sthapana muhurat: 10:51 AM to 01:21 PM IST.
- Tithi: Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi.
Prana pratishtha and daily worship
Place the murti on a raised, clean platform facing east or west as family custom dictates. After sthapana, offer durva, modak, incense and aarti morning and evening. Keep the murti’s surroundings dry enough that painted colours do not stain floors — another reason to prefer unpainted clay. Uttar puja (farewell) is done before visarjan. Public mandals must follow local police and municipal immersion schedules. Noise limits and immersion pond rules exist to protect rivers.
| Day type | Typical length | Visarjan |
|---|---|---|
| Ganesh Chaturthi sthapana | Day 1 — 14 Sep | Installation |
| 1.5-day vrata | Chaturthi–Panchami | Next evening or morning |
| 5-day / 7-day | Family choice | Chosen shubh day |
| 10-day Ganeshotsav | Until Anant Chaturdashi | Grand visarjan |
Significance and environmental duty
Ganesha is worshipped as the remover of obstacles and the deity of auspicious beginnings. The festival gained modern public form in Maharashtra through Bal Gangadhar Tilak as a community gathering. Today the dharmic duty includes not polluting water bodies: choose clay, natural dyes, and official immersion tanks. Modak symbolises the sweetness of inner realisation; sharing them as prasad is the household heart of the festival.
Key sacred rituals
- Prana Pratishtha of clay Ganesha idols at home and pandals
- Offering Modak, Durva grass, and red hibiscus flowers
- 10-day grand festival ending with Anant Chaturdashi Visarjan
Frequently asked questions
When is Ganesh Chaturthi?
Ganesh Chaturthi begins on Monday, 14 September (Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi).
What is the Ganesh sthapana muhurat?
The indicative sthapana muhurat is 11:02 AM to 01:31 PM IST on 14 September. Avoid Rahu Kalam if it overlaps your start time.
When is Ganesh Visarjan?
Ten-day mandals usually immerse on Anant Chaturdashi (around 23 September). Confirm the exact tithi locally. Shorter vratas immerse earlier.
Can I bring a plaster-of-Paris idol?
Municipal rules in many Indian cities discourage or ban PoP idols because they do not dissolve and pollute water. Use unpainted clay.
Is Ganesh Chaturthi a public holiday?
It is a public holiday in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana and several other states. National gazetted status varies by state list.
Muhurat times are indicative for IST and may vary by city sunrise and tithi. Confirm with Today's Panchang.