Ganesh Chaturthi 2026: Date, Puja Time, Puja Vidhi & Samagri

Last updated: September 10, 2026

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 will be celebrated on Monday, September 14, 2026, according to Drik Panchang. The Madhyahna Ganesh Puja Muhurat varies by city, while the main Ganesh Visarjan falls on Friday, September 25, 2026. This guide covers the Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 date, puja time, puja vidhi, samagri list, home worship, and visarjan.

If you are planning Ganesh Chaturthi at home, the key things to prepare are the Ganesha idol, a clean puja space, basic puja samagri, flowers, durva grass, fruits or other offerings, lamps, and whatever else your family’s tradition calls for.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 at a glance

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 date

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026: Monday, September 14, 2026

The Chaturthi tithi begins at approximately 7:06 AM on September 14 and ends at approximately 7:44 AM on September 15, according to Drik Panchang’s 2026 Panchang data.

Ganesh Chaturthi is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi and Ganapati Chaturthi.

The exact puja timing varies by location because Hindu festival timings are calculated using local astronomical factors. For this reason, use the timing for your own city rather than relying on a generic national time.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 puja time

For New Delhi, the Madhyahna Ganesh Puja Muhurat on September 14 is approximately, per Drik Panchang:

11:02 AM to 1:31 PM

Timings shift from city to city. For instance, the Madhyahna Muhurat is roughly 10:51 AM to 1:18 PM for Chennai and 11:02 AM to 1:28 PM for Bengaluru, according to Drik Panchang.

For your city, check the local Panchang before beginning the main puja.

When is Ganesh Visarjan 2026?

The traditional Ganesh Visarjan on Anant Chaturdashi falls on Friday, September 25, 2026, per Drik Panchang.

Households and communities follow different immersion traditions. Some devotees perform visarjan after one and a half, three, five, or seven days, depending on family or regional custom. The idol does not have to be kept for exactly ten days in every tradition. Individual households and communities may follow different visarjan days according to family or regional custom.

What is Ganesh Chaturthi?

Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha, worshipped as the remover of obstacles and the deity invoked at the start of anything that matters: a new home, a new venture, a new chapter. The festival falls on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi, the fourth lunar day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada.

It is celebrated in homes, temples, and public pandals across India. Maharashtra is particularly known for large-scale Ganeshotsav celebrations, and the festival is equally alive in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and beyond, with each region bringing him home in its own way, but with the same welcome.

Why is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?

Ganesh Chaturthi commemorates the birth of Lord Ganesha. He is invoked before important beginnings, and his worship carries a simple intent: seek wisdom, ask for the obstacles to clear, and start with faith.

The public form of Ganeshotsav has its own history. In 1893, when the British banned political assemblies, the festival was revived as a large public celebration in Maharashtra by the Indian nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak, according to Britannica, turning what had largely been a household observance into a major community festival.

How to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi at home

A home celebration doesn’t need to be elaborate. A clean, devotional setup, done with attention, is enough.

1. Prepare the puja space

Clean the area where the Ganesha idol will sit. A small raised platform covered with a clean cloth works well as the altar. Arrange flowers, a diya, and simple decorative elements around the idol without crowding the space; the idol should remain the visual and spiritual center, not one item among many.

2. Choosing your Ganesha idol

This is worth slowing down on, because the idol you bring home shapes the entire celebration.

Size: A smaller idol suits apartments and compact puja corners; a larger one suits a dedicated home mandap or community setup.

Material and what happens after: This is the decision most guides skip past, but it matters. If your family observes visarjan, consider the idol material and your local immersion guidelines before buying. Clay idols are commonly chosen for immersion, while permanent brass idols offer a different approach for households that keep Ganesha for daily worship.

A brass Ganesha offers a different choice. Rather than being selected for a single festival and immersion, it can be brought home once and kept as part of the daily altar. It can remain on your altar through this Chaturthi, the next, and every daily puja in between, gradually developing the subtle patina that comes with years of lamp smoke and handling.

For households that want Ganapati as a permanent presence rather than a yearly guest, brass allows the idol to become part of daily puja rather than remain a festival-only purchase.

Anugrah Aura’s brass Ganesha idols are selected for exactly this kind of lasting home worship.

Shop Brass Ganesha Idols →

Design: Choose a form that suits the kind of worship and the aesthetic of your home altar, seated or dancing, plain or richly detailed.

Placement: Leave enough space around the idol for lamps, flowers, and the items your puja needs. A large idol crammed into a small space serves the room less than a smaller one, properly given room to breathe.

3. Prepare the puja samagri

The exact list varies by family and region, but common Ganesh Chaturthi items include:

• Ganesha idol
• Puja cloth
• Flowers
• Durva grass
• Kumkum, sandalwood paste, turmeric, akshata
• Incense and diya
• Oil or ghee
• Fruits and coconut
• Betel leaves and areca nuts, where used
• Modak or other naivedyam
• Kalash and water
• Camphor for aarti

You don’t need every item on every list you find online; only what your household’s puja vidhi calls for.

Ganesh Chaturthi puja vidhi at home

A simple household worship generally follows this sequence:

1. Clean the puja area.
2. Place the Ganesha idol on the prepared platform.
3. Light the diya and incense.
4. Make the sankalp for the puja.
5. Invoke Lord Ganesha.
6. Offer water and traditional puja items.
7. Apply sandalwood, turmeric, and kumkum where appropriate.
8. Offer flowers and durva grass.
9. Offer naivedyam such as modak or fruits.
10. Chant Ganesha mantras according to your tradition.
11. Perform Ganesh aarti.
12. Distribute prasad.

If your family follows a specific sampradaya, that lineage of practice takes priority over any generic checklist, including this one.

Ganesh Chaturthi mantra

One of the most widely known Ganesha mantras:

Om Gam Ganapataye Namah

Devotees may also recite Ganesha stotras, the 108 names, or a family aarti; those deserve their own dedicated space rather than a passing mention here.

What should you offer to Lord Ganesha?

Commonly offered items include modak, fruits, coconut, durva grass, red flowers, betel leaves and jaggery-based sweets. Modak in particular is closely tied to his worship. What matters more than the list, though, is that the offering follows your household’s own tradition, with devotion carried in the gesture, not the inventory.

Ganesh Chaturthi puja items: a simple checklist

For the altar: Ganesha idol, clean cloth, diya, incense, flowers, durva

For puja: Kumkum, turmeric, sandalwood, akshata, water, coconut, betel leaves and areca nuts if used

For naivedyam: Modak, fruits, other traditional offerings

For aarti: Aarti lamp, camphor, bell if used at home

Ganesh Chaturthi across India

Ganesh Chaturthi is observed across India under different regional names and customs.

• Maharashtra: Ganeshotsav is especially known for large household and public celebrations.
• Karnataka: Ganesh Chaturthi is widely observed as a household and community festival.
• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: Vinayaka Chavithi is marked with home puja and public celebrations.
• Tamil Nadu: Vinayagar Chaturthi is widely observed in homes and temples.
• Kerala: Ganapati worship forms part of household and temple traditions in different communities.

The name changes, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganapati Chaturthi, Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayagar Chaturthi, but the devotion remains at the heart of the celebration.

A meaningful Ganesh Chaturthi begins with the way Bappa is welcomed

Ganesh Chaturthi was never really about decoration or scale. For most families, it’s simply the moment Bappa comes home.

A clean space. A lamp lit with attention. An idol chosen with care rather than convenience. A prayer said and meant. That’s enough to make the day what it’s supposed to be, whether he stays with you for one day or ten.

Welcome Ganesha. Pray with devotion. Celebrate with joy.

Anugrahāt Sarvam.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Ganesh Chaturthi 2026?

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 falls on Monday, September 14, 2026.

What is the Ganesh Chaturthi puja time in 2026?

The Madhyahna Ganesh Puja Muhurat varies by city. For example, it is 11:02 AM to 1:31 PM in New Delhi, 10:51 AM to 1:18 PM in Chennai, and 11:02 AM to 1:28 PM in Bengaluru.

When is Ganesh Visarjan 2026?

The main Ganesh Visarjan associated with Anant Chaturdashi falls on Friday, September 25, 2026. Individual households may follow different immersion days according to family or regional tradition.

What are the main Ganesh Chaturthi puja items?

Common items include a Ganesha idol, flowers, durva grass, diya, incense, kumkum, turmeric, sandalwood, akshata, fruits, coconut, naivedyam such as modak, and items required for aarti.

Can a brass Ganesha idol be kept at home after Ganesh Chaturthi?

Yes. A brass Ganesha can be kept as a permanent home altar idol and used for daily worship, provided this follows the household’s worship tradition.

Sources & References

• Drik Panchang: Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 date, Chaturthi tithi, city-wise Madhyahna Puja Muhurat, and Ganesh Visarjan date.
• Britannica: historical background on the public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s role in it.