2019 Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Guide

How, When and Where to Celebrate the Ganesh Festival in India

Ganesh festival in Mumbai
Sharell Cook  

This spectacular festival of Ganesh Chaturthi honors the birth of the beloved Hindu elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, popularly worshiped for his ability to remove obstacles and bring good fortune. The festival is celebrated in a very public manner. Local communities compete with each other to put up the most impressive Ganesha statue and display. Expect very crowded streets, filled with boisterous devotees, and lots of music.

 Lara Antal / © TripSavvy

Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Dates

The festival takes place late August or early September, depending on the cycle of the moon. It falls on the fourth day after the new moon in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. In 2019, Ganesh Chaturthi takes place on Monday, September 2. The festival extends over 11 days with the biggest spectacle happening on the last day called Anant Chaturdasi day, which falls on September 12, 2019.

Where is it Celebrated?

The festival is widely celebrated in the state of Maharashtra, where it originated as a public festival in the city of Pune more than 125 years ago. Although there is debate over who started it there (Sardar Krishnaji Khasgiwale, freedom fighter Bhausaheb Rangari or freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak), its main purpose was to bring people of different classes and castes together to unite them against the British rule. The idol at Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple in Budhwar Peth is very popular and historical.

Celebrations have spread to other states including Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

One of the best places to experience the festival is in Mumbai. It takes place in a special way at the towering Siddhivinayak temple, situated in the central south Mumbai neighborhood of Prabhadevi, which is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. An incalculable number of devotees visit the temple to join in prayers and pay their respects to the God during the festival. In addition, around 10,000 statues of Lord Ganesh are displayed at various locations across the city. The procession and immersion of the statues on the last day is epic!

Here's what you need to know about the Ganesh festival in Mumbai.

Ganesh festival in Mumbai.
Sharell Cook

How is it Celebrated?



What Rituals are Performed?

Once a statue of Lord Ganesh is installed, a ceremony is undertaken to invoke his holy presence into the statue. This ritual is called the Pranapratishhtha Puja, during which a number of mantras are recited. Following this, a special worship ceremony is performed. Offerings of sweets, flowers, rice, coconut, jaggery, and coins are made to the God. The statue is also anointed with red Chandan powder. Prayers are offered to Lord Ganesha every day during the festival. Temples devoted to Lord Ganesha also organize special events and prayers.

Those who have a Ganesha statue in their house treat and care for him as a much-loved guest.

Indian devotees celebrating the last day of the Gansesha Chaturhi (Gansesha festival) along the Yamuna river. On the this final day of the festival, thousands of plaster idols are immersed into bodies of water.
Image by WMay/Getty Images 



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