గణేశ చతుర్థి 2026 గైడ్: భాద్ర శుక్ల చతుర్థి, మోదక్ మరియు విసర్జన

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 Date: Bhadra Shukla Chaturthi and Shubha Muhurat

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 falls on the Chaturthi (fourth) tithi of Shukla Paksha in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, which corresponds to August or early September 2026. The Chaturthi tithi during the waxing phase in this month is specifically designated in the Ganesha Purana and Narada Purana as the birthday of Lord Ganesha — the first son of Shiva and Parvati, the remover of obstacles, and the lord of beginnings. The festival is celebrated most grandly in Maharashtra, where it was given a massive public dimension by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1893 as a means to unite communities during India's independence movement. The Shubha Muhurat for installing the Ganesha idol at home is the Madhyahna Kaal — the mid-morning to midday window on Chaturthi — which is considered the most auspicious time for Ganesha's puja according to the Dharmasindhu and Nirnayasindhu texts. Puja should ideally be performed when the Chaturthi tithi is in effect during this Madhyahna window. The festival officially spans ten days, from Chaturthi through Ananta Chaturdashi, with families choosing to perform visarjan (immersion) of their Ganesha idol on the first, third, fifth, seventh, or tenth day depending on their tradition, family custom, and the idol's size.