2026 Ganesh Chaturthi · Mumbai

Ganesh Chaturthi, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi, celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha on Shukla Chaturthi, the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada. In 2026 it fell on Monday, 14 September. Families install a Ganesha idol at home, worship him at midday, and immerse it after one to ten days.

When is Ganesh Chaturthi in 2026, 2027 and 2028?

The festival is held on the day Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi covers madhyahna, the middle part of the day, because Ganesha is believed to have been born at midday.

Dates are calculated for Mumbai (IST). The ten-day festival ends on Anant Chaturdashi, the fourteenth day of the same fortnight, when the largest immersions take place. Use the calculator above for your city's midday puja window.

Significance and story

How Ganesha got his elephant head

The most loved story says Goddess Parvati shaped a boy from turmeric paste while preparing for her bath, breathed life into him and asked him to guard the door. When Shiva returned home, the boy, not knowing who he was, refused to let him in. In the fight that followed, Shiva cut off the boy's head. Parvati's grief and anger shook the worlds, so Shiva promised to restore her son. 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 named him Ganapati, leader of his ganas, and declared that he would be worshipped before every other god.

The remover of obstacles

That blessing is why every Hindu puja, wedding, house-warming or new venture begins with Ganesha. He is Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles, and the patron of wisdom, learning and new beginnings. His large ears are said to stand for listening, his small eyes for focus, and the mouse he rides for a mind brought under control.

Why you should not look at the moon

A well-known legend says the moon laughed at Ganesha's round belly as he rode home after a feast, and Ganesha cursed it. Since then, seeing the moon on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi is believed to bring a false accusation, a belief called Mithya Dosha. People who see it by mistake often listen to the story of the Syamantaka jewel to undo the effect.

From homes to the streets

Ganesh Chaturthi was long a family festival. In 1893, the freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak promoted public celebrations in Pune, turning it into a community event that brought people together under colonial rule. The tall public idols and neighbourhood mandals of today grew from that movement.

How to do Ganesh Chaturthi puja (vidhi)

1. Clean the house and prepare a raised platform covered with red or yellow cloth. Choose an eco-friendly clay idol where you can.
2. Bring the idol home with its face covered, and unveil it on the platform during the midday puja window for your city.
3. Bathe, light a ghee lamp, and take a sankalpa stating your name, family and the number of days you will keep Ganesha.
4. Perform avahana (inviting Ganesha) and prana pratishtha (invoking life into the idol) with mantras, or chant "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah" if you are doing a simple home puja.
5. Offer the shodashopachara, the sixteen traditional offerings, including water, a cloth, sandalwood, kumkum, flowers, incense, a lamp and food.
6. Offer 21 blades of durva grass, red hibiscus flowers, shami leaves and 21 modaks, Ganesha's favourite sweet.
7. Sing an aarti such as "Sukhakarta Dukhaharta" and share the prasad with the family and visitors.
8. Repeat the morning and evening puja every day the idol stays at home.
9. On the last day, perform the uttar puja (farewell worship), then carry Ganesha for visarjan, immersing him in water, or in a bucket at home for clay idols, while calling "Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya": "come back early next year".

Regional variations

• Maharashtra: The biggest celebrations in India. Mumbai's public mandals, such as Lalbaugcha Raja, draw millions of visitors, and families keep Ganesha for one and a half, five, seven or ten days.
• Goa: Known as Chavath. Homes hang a canopy of fruits and vegetables (matoli) above the idol and prepare sweets such as neureos.
• Karnataka: The festival opens with Gowri Habba, the worship of Ganesha's mother Gowri, the day before Chaturthi.
• Telangana and Andhra Pradesh: Hyderabad's Khairatabad Ganesh is famous for its giant idol, and the immersion procession to Hussain Sagar lake lasts well into the night.
• Tamil Nadu: Called Vinayagar Chathurthi. Homes prepare kozhukattai (steamed rice dumplings) and small clay idols are worshipped at home.
• Kerala and the diaspora: Celebrations tend to be quieter and temple-centred, with special offerings at Ganesha shrines.

Frequently asked questions

Updated on 16 October 2026. Dates are calculated for Mumbai (IST); the calculator above gives timings for your city.