Vinayaka Chaturthi

Few festivals bring Indian streets to life like this one. Drums beat, families carry clay idols home and sweet modaks fill every kitchen. This is Vinayaka Chaturthi, also known as Ganesh Chaturthi. It honours Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed god who removes obstacles. The festival lasts up to ten days and ends with a grand farewell in water.

Our older post on this festival was short and had a few claims we could not prove. We have rewritten it with checked facts, simple words and the latest dates.

What Is Vinayaka Chaturthi?

Vinayaka Chaturthi is a Hindu festival in honour of Lord Ganesha. “Vinayaka” is one of his many names. “Chaturthi” means the fourth day of the moon’s bright half. The festival falls on this day in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada.

The festival has different names in different places. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, people call it Vinayaka Chavithi. In Tamil Nadu, it is Vinayagar Chaturthi or Pillayar Chaturthi. In Maharashtra, it is Ganeshotsav. In Goa, it is called Chavath.

During the festival, people bring Ganesha idols into their homes and into public tents called pandals. They pray, sing and offer sweets. Devotees believe Ganesha comes to the earth as a guest. When the idol is immersed in water, he returns to his heavenly home and takes away the troubles of the house.

Who Is Lord Ganesha?

Ganesha, also called Ganapati and Vighneshvara, is one of the most loved gods in Hinduism. Hindu texts describe him as the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is easy to recognise by his elephant head and four arms.

The name Ganesha joins two Sanskrit words, gana and isha. Together they mean “lord of the group”. The ganas are a troop of followers of Lord Shiva, Ganesha’s father.

People worship him as the remover of obstacles and the bringer of good luck. He is also the god of wisdom, learning, the arts and new beginnings. That is why many Hindus pray to him first, before any other god, and at the start of any new work.

Ganesha is often shown with a mouse, which serves as his vehicle. One of his tusks is broken, and an early name for him was Ekadanta, meaning “one tusked”.

Vinayaka Chaturthi Dates

On the English calendar, the festival always falls between 22 August and 20 September. In 2026, Vinayaka Chaturthi was on Monday, 14 September. The immersion day, Anant Chaturdashi, was on Friday, 25 September 2026.

In 2027, calendars place the festival on 3 or 4 September, depending on the city. This happens because the date depends on when the Chaturthi period falls during the day. Check your local Hindu calendar, called a panchang, for the exact date.

How Vinayaka Chaturthi Is Celebrated

Bringing Ganesha Home

Families book their idol from local artists, sometimes a month in advance. They clean and decorate a corner of the house with flowers. On the festival day, the idol is placed there with prayers.

A priest performs a ritual called Prana Pratishtha, which invites Ganesha into the idol like an honoured guest. This is followed by a worship of 16 steps. Devotees offer coconut, jaggery, modaks, durva grass and red hibiscus flowers. Morning and evening, the family sings an aarti, a song of praise. In Maharashtra, the Marathi aarti “Sukhakarta Dukhaharta” by the saint Samarth Ramdas is very popular.

Home celebrations can last one and a half, three, five, seven or eleven days, as per family custom.

Public Pandals

Local youth groups and neighbourhood clubs set up public pandals. They collect funds from residents and shops. Idols can be as small as 2 cm for homes or over 20 metres tall in big pandals.

Pandals often host music, plays and dance. Many also run free health check ups, blood donation camps and charity drives. The festival gives work to thousands of artists and small traders in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

The Farewell: Ganesh Visarjan

The festival ends with visarjan, which means immersion. People carry the idols in colourful processions with music and chants. Then they immerse them in a river, lake or the sea. The main immersion day is Anant Chaturdashi, the fourteenth day of the moon’s bright half. In Mumbai alone, about 150,000 idols are immersed every year.

Food of the Festival

The star sweet of the festival is the modak. It is a dumpling made of rice or wheat flour, filled with grated coconut and jaggery. It is steamed or fried. People believe it is Ganesha’s favourite food. A plate offered to Ganesha traditionally holds 21 modaks.

Each region has its own treats:

• Maharashtra and Goa: karanji, a half moon shaped sweet similar to the modak. In Goa, it is called nevri.
• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: laddu, vundrallu (steamed rice flour balls), panakam (a jaggery and pepper drink) and vadapappu (soaked moong dal).
• Karnataka: panchakajjaya, a mix of coconut, roasted gram, sugar, ghee and sesame.

How Different Regions Celebrate

The heart of the festival is the same everywhere, but each region adds its own customs.

• Maharashtra: Women keep a fast called Hartalika on the day before the festival. A few days later, families also welcome idols of the goddess Gauri.
• Goa: The festival is called Chavath. Women worship Parvati and Shiva and fast. The next day is Navyachi Pancham, when freshly harvested paddy is brought home. Families who usually eat seafood avoid it during the festival.
• Karnataka: The Gowri festival comes just before Ganesh Chaturthi. In Dharwad district, the Kulkarni families worship a red Ganesha, a custom dating to 1827.
• Kerala: The festival is called Lambodhara Piranalu. In Thiruvananthapuram, a procession goes from the Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple to Shankumugham Beach.
• Bihar: On the same day, the Mithila region celebrates Chaurchan, linked to Ganesha and the moon god.

Indians abroad celebrate too. In Mauritius, the festival dates back to 1896, and it is a public holiday there. Big celebrations also take place in Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A Short History of the Festival

No one knows exactly when Ganesh Chaturthi began. It was celebrated publicly in Pune in the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 1600s. Later, the Peshwa rulers held a public festival in Pune in the 18th century.

Under British rule, it became mostly a private family affair. Then, in 1893, the freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak helped turn it into a large public event. At that time, British laws limited political gatherings. Tilak used the festival to bring people of all castes together. The pandals became places for talks, poems, plays and music. Read more about him in our post on Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Today, the festival is celebrated across India and by Indians abroad. In Hyderabad, the Khairatabad Ganesh is famous for its giant idol. In 2026, it stood 69 feet tall and was made from natural clay, sand and straw. In July 2025, Maharashtra declared Ganeshotsav a state festival.

Celebrate in an Eco Friendly Way

Many idols are made of Plaster of Paris and painted with chemical colours. When immersed, they can pollute rivers, lakes and the sea. Because of this, several states have taken steps. Goa has banned the sale of Plaster of Paris idols. Tamil Nadu has also banned them, though breaking of the rule is often reported.

Here are some simple ways to help:

• Choose a clay idol made by a local artist.
• Avoid idols with heavy chemical paint.
• Immerse a small clay idol in a bucket or tub of water at home. After a few days, use the clay in your garden.
• Use the special immersion tanks that many cities set up.

The Start of the Festive Season

Vinayaka Chaturthi opens a busy season of festivals. Right after the Ganesh festival comes Pitru Paksha, a fortnight to honour ancestors. Learn more in our post on Pitru Paksha and Mahalaya Amavasya. After that come Navaratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra and Diwali. See our guide to the Navratri festival. For another look at Ganesha’s big day, read our post on Ganesh Chaturthi.

What We Changed From the Old Post

• We removed the claim that Ganesha idols are placed under Bodhi trees because the tree releases oxygen at night and cures 50 diseases. We found no reliable proof for this.
• The old post said the festival is mainly big in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. It is celebrated widely, including in Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Gujarat and many other states.
• We fixed “healer of all obstacles” to “remover of obstacles” and “priest enchants” to “priest chants”.
• We added the 2026 and 2027 dates, the meaning of the name, rituals, food, history and eco friendly tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vinayaka Chaturthi the same as Ganesh Chaturthi?

Yes. Both names refer to the same festival in honour of Lord Ganesha.

How many days does the festival last?

Public celebrations usually last ten days and end on Anant Chaturdashi. Home celebrations may last one and a half to eleven days.

Why is the modak offered to Ganesha?

Devotees believe it is his favourite sweet, so it is the main offering during the festival.

When is Vinayaka Chaturthi in 2027?

Calendars list 3 or 4 September 2027, depending on the city. Check your local panchang.