Festival guide 3264
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom, prosperity, and new beginnings. The 10-day festival is especially grand in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Goa with elaborate pandals and processions.
When to read
Tuesday, 16 September 3264 – Thursday, 25 September 3264
Central timing
Puja Muhurat
Festival length
10 days of observance
Coming next
452159 days until the observance begins.
Start with the story
Understand the observance before you open the schedule
Ganesh Chaturthi unfolds over 10 days, so the story matters as much as the clock.
Observed on
Tuesday, 16 September 3264
Primary window
Puja Muhurat
Festival length
10 days of observance
Ganesh Chaturthi (Sthapana)
Installation day: Clay idol of Lord Ganesha is brought home or to community pandals. Pranapratishtha (invocation of life) and Shhodashopachara (16-step) puja are performed.
Ganesh Panchami
Daily puja continues. Modak and laddu are offered. Some families perform visarjan after 1.5 days.
Day 3
Community celebrations intensify. Cultural programs, bhajan-kirtan, and decorations at pandals. Some families perform 3-day visarjan.
Day 4
Devotees continue daily aarti and offerings. Pandals host competitions, music, and dance performances.
Day 5 (Panchami Visarjan)
Many households perform 5-day visarjan. Grand processions carry idols to rivers and water bodies for immersion.
Day 6
Celebrations continue at larger community pandals. Evening aarti and prasad distribution.
Day 7 (Saptami Visarjan)
Another popular visarjan day. Seven-day celebrations conclude for many pandals with processions and farewell rituals.
Day 8
Final days of celebration. Remaining pandals prepare for the grand visarjan. Special prayers and offerings.
Day 9
Penultimate day. Final aarti and decorations. Communities prepare for the grand Anant Chaturdashi visarjan procession.
Anant Chaturdashi (Visarjan)
Grand finale: Massive visarjan processions across cities. Idols are immersed with chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya!' (Come back soon next year).
Festival Significance
Why this observance stays alive in memory
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom, prosperity, and new beginnings. The 10-day festival is especially grand in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Goa with elaborate pandals and processions.
Ritual path
Rituals
Install clay Ganesha idol at home or in community pandals. Perform Pranapratishtha and Shhodashopachara Puja. Offer modak, durva grass, and red flowers. Immerse the idol (visarjan) after 1.5, 5, 7, or 10 days.
How to approach it
Festival rhythm
Read the timing first, then the central ritual, then the local context to understand how the observance feels on the ground.
In Varanasi
Where the city adds its own colour
In Varanasi, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with community installations at ghats and neighborhoods. Dashashwamedh Ghat hosts a grand celebration. Visarjan processions wind through the old city to the Ganga.
