India celebrates Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi every year with great fanfare. Also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, this festival commemorates Ganesha’s birth and lasts for ten consecutive days – always falling on Chaturthi Tithi of Shukla Paksha each year – marking his birth and immersing idols of Lord Ganesha into water on visarjan day (last day). 

Ganesh Visarjan takes place all over India but particularly heavily across Maharashtra and Telangana. Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad are mainly known for hosting vast celebrations of this festival! If you plan to celebrate this festival this year, then make sure that you know its date, history, and significance, along with how best you can mark it together with your family (to avoid confusion).

Ganesh Chaturthi 2023

This year, Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 takes place from September 19 to 28. On September 19, Ganesh puja muhurat begins at 11:01 am and concludes at 1:28 pm, according to Drik Panchang’s calculations. Drik also states that Chaturthi Tithi started on September 18 at 12:39 pm and ended at 1:43 pm on September 19.

Ganesh Chaturthi History and Meaning

Lord Ganesha is revered as a deity of wisdom, happiness, and prosperity. According to legend, Maa Paravati created Lord Ganesha from sandalwood paste as she took a bath – so as to ensure its protection. Lord Shiva knew about this arrangement and was surprised when Lord Ganesha appeared standing outside MaaParvati’s bathing place, refusing to allow Lord Shiva entry. Outraged at this refusal, Lord Shiva cut off Ganesha’s hair before proceeding into the area himself. 

Maa Parvati became incensed upon seeing this, taking on her Kaali avatar and vowing to destroy the world. When Shiva discovered the truth, he instructed his men to bring back the head of the baby elephant whose mom was looking away; Lord Ganesha received it from them when they returned and became known as an elephant-headed god.

Ganesh Chaturthi, or Lord Ganesha Chaturthi in Hindu culture and tradition, is an event with great spiritual and cultural significance. Lord Ganesha is said to bestow wisdom, luck, and success upon those he blesses. Thus, it is tradition for followers of Lord Ganesha to pray to him before beginning any new work, examination or wedding preparations.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 Time and Date: Shubh Muhurat

According to Drik Panchang, an auspicious moment to welcome Lord Ganesha home on Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 starts and ends at 12:39 pm on September 18 and lasts through 1:43 pm on September 19. The 10-day Ganesh festival concludes on September 28 with Ganpati Visarjan. 

Muhurat will commence at 11:01 am on September 19, 2023.

Rituals and Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi 2023

According to Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is widely revered as both an object of worship and a deity – his name means Vighnaharta in Sanskrit, meaning one who removes obstacles. All rituals begin by offering their respects at his shrine. Preparations for celebrating his festival begin months in advance.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with four main rituals: Pran Pratishtha, Shodashopachara, Uttar Puja, and Visarjanpuja. Devotees decorate their houses with flowers, rangoli patterns, and clay idols of Ganesha to welcome this auspicious day of festivities. On Chaturthi day itself, beautifully decorated Ganesha statues can be found displayed around puja pandals at homes, offices, educational institutions, or workplaces across India and Southeast Asia.

A priest will conduct the Pran Pratishtha Ritual by chanting mantras, followed by 16 rituals known as Shodashopachara Puja. Modak, a sweet dumpling popular in Maharashtra, is said to have been Lord Ganesh’s favorite treat – sweets and fruit are also offered during this Puja to him in the worship of Lord Ganesh.

Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated by singing religious hymns and dancing to drum beats. A delicious meal is prepared, and Uttarpuja, or Ganesh Chaturthi’s final ritual, serves to bid farewell to Lord Ganesh.

Ganesh Visarjan is an annual ceremony celebrated during Ganesh Chaturthi. On its tenth day and final day, an idol of Lord Ganesha is immersed with complete devotion into a river in an act known as Ganesh Visarjan. People gather around him while singing “Ganapati bappa morya, Pudhchya Varshi laukariya”, meaning, “Goodbye Lord Ganesha; come back next year!”.

Ganesh Chaturthi, traditionally observed on October 11, is celebrated throughout India with great enthusiasm, particularly in Maharashtra and Telangana. Ganesh Chaturthi involves welcoming Ganpati Bhappa idols into homes for one and a half days, three or seven days until Ganesh Visarjan comes along as its final event, during which devotees submerge these beloved statues into the water with heavy hearts as a wish for Bappa’s return is offered up through processions of people chanting “Ganapati Bappa Morya Purchya Varshi Laukariya”.

Devotees observe a similar fast during Ganesh Chaturthi. Some keep it for only the first and last days, while others continue for all ten days. Ganesh Chaturthi is widely considered one of the most significant festivals in Hinduism. He can be celebrated through Puja Vidhis and celebrations. According to Hindu mythology, below is more information regarding the celebration and Puja Vidhi for Ganesh Chaturthi.

• Early morning devotional rituals begin with taking a bath and dressing clean.
• They then arrange an idea on a chowki with eight clothes in red or yellow colors and sprinkle.
• Gangajal over him while lighting a Diya, applying haldi-Kumkum tilak, providing Laddu, modak, and Meetha Paan offerings.
• Then begin Pooja by chanting Om Ganpatye Naath for Pooja to begin.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 Puja Mantra

1. Om Gan Ganpataye Namah..!!

2. Om Shree Ganeshaye Namah..!!

3. Om Vakratund Mahakaye Suryakoti Samaprabha,

Nirvighnam Kurumaydev Sarva Karyeshu Sarvada..!!

4. Ekadantaya Vidmahe Vakratundaya,

Dheemahi Tanno Danti Prachodayat..!!

5. Gajananam Bhuta Ganadhi Sevitam

Kapittha Jambu Palasara Bhaksitam |

Uma Sutam Shoka Vinasha Karanam

Namami Vignesvara Pada Pankajam ||

Fasting Regulations For Ganesh Chathurthi

Nirjal Fasting (Waterless): Nirjal fasting is an extreme fasting method in which both food and liquid must be restricted throughout the day. Fruit fasting involves eating fruits, and dairy products such as milk and yogurt, nuts, and other nutritious food items during your fast.

Satvik fasting involves eating simple and vegetarian-based food such as sabudana, fruits, vegetables, and nuts for ten days without eating anything other than simple carbohydrates like rice.

Ganesh Utsav 2023: Rituals Performed During 10-Day Ganesh Utsav

Over the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi period, there are 16 distinct rituals performed. We can categorize them into four main groups.

Ganesh Chaturthi Rituals: Avahana and Pran Pratishtha

Here, devotees perform the Avahana and Pran Pratishtha rituals for purifying the Ganpati idol. After performing “Deep Prajwalan” and “Sankalpa”, devotees perform this ceremony by reciting mantras to invoke Lord Ganesha and infuse life into their model.

Shodashopachara Ganesh Chaturthi Ritual

Step Two is the 16-Step Puja. Shodasha in Sanskrit means 16, and Upachara means “devoutly offering Him.” After washing Ganesha’s foot, his idol will be bathed with milk, ghee (or ghee and honey), curd, honey, and sugar before being doused with scented oil, followed by Gangajal. Later, Vastra/clothes (uttariya samarpan), flowers (Akshata), unbroken sindoor (sindoor) sindoor, and Chandan offerings will also be made as offerings to his idol – modak betel, coconut naivedya incense diyas and hymns will all serve to decorate Ganesh’s figure further!

This ritual takes place immediately before Visarjan. All age groups take part with great devotion and enthusiasm in this festival, taking great delight in participating in temples, pandals, or homes to dance, sing, and light fireworks for Ganesha’s farewell, which involves beautiful mantra chanting, flower offerings and aarti (Niranjan Aarti followed by Pushpanjali Arpan and Pradakshina).

What Day Is Ganpati Visarjan Scheduled For?

The Ganesha Chaturthi 2023 Visarjan date will take place on Thursday, September 28, 2023 – an end-of-ritual ceremony wherein Ganesh Idols are submerged into water bodies en masse with great fanfare and enthusiasm in Mumbai and Maharashtra. As people walk toward the immersion point, chanting “Ganapati Bappa Maurya Purchya Varshi Laukariya!” en masse while walking to the immersion point. 

People chanting “Ganapati Bappa Murya Purchya Varshi Laukariya”. When reaching the immersion point, people start singing along the route, chanting “Ganapati Bappa Maurya Purchya Varshi Laukariya”. (Hail, Lord Ganpati! Come quickly next year). Among Maharashtra celebrations, it has received enormous enthusiasm.

Also Read: KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI: A DAY OF DEVOTION