Ganesh Utsav The Ten-Day Festival of Ganpati
The whole festival on one page - Ganesh Chaturthi and its Sthapana muhurat, how long your Ganpati stays and the visarjan muhurats for each choice, and the three days of Gauri Pujan. All computed for your city.
Ganesh Chaturthi Monday, 14 September 2026·Mumbai, Maharashtra
Ganesh Sthapana muhurat
The idol installation and Pranapratishtha are performed in the Madhyahna (midday) muhurat - the scriptural hour of Ganesha’s birth. The Abhijit Muhurat, the auspicious window at solar noon, falls within it and marks its sharpest moment. Both are computed for Mumbai, Maharashtra on Ganesh Chaturthi (Monday, 14 September 2026).
Tradition holds that the moon should not be seen on Chaturthi night (the Mithya Dosha); if seen, reciting the Syamantaka story is the remedy.
How long will your Ganpati stay?
Pick how many days your Ganpati will stay to see the visarjan date and the day’s auspicious immersion windows (and the times to avoid) - computed for Mumbai, Maharashtra. The ten-day Ganpati is immersed on Anant Chaturdashi.
The grand ten-day finale - the great public visarjan processions fall on Anant Chaturdashi.
Auspicious immersion windows
- Labh 7:58 am – 9:29 am · 1 hr 31 min
- Amrit 9:29 am – 10:59 am · 1 hr 31 min
- Shubh 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm · 1 hr 31 min
Avoid these windows
- Rahu Kala 10:59 am – 12:30 pm
- Yamaganda 3:31 pm – 5:01 pm
- Gulika Kala 7:58 am – 9:29 am
Visarjan - the farewell
On the immersion day the family performs the uttar puja (concluding worship), offers a final aarti, and gently moves the idol, asking forgiveness for any lapse in the worship. The Ganpati is then carried to a river, lake, sea or an eco-friendly immersion tank, amid singing and the beloved cry - “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Laukar Ya” (“Lord Ganpati, come again soon next year”). There is no single fixed muhurat for visarjan: it is done during the day’s good Choghadiya periods, avoiding Rahu Kala, Yamaganda and Gulika Kala - which the selector above shows for your day and city.
Gauri Pujan & Gauri Visarjan
Gauri - Parvati, the mother of Ganesha, honoured in Maharashtra as Mahalakshmi - visits her maternal home for three days during Ganesh Utsav, much as a daughter returns for the festival. The three days follow the nakshatra: Avahana (welcoming) on the day Anuradha nakshatra prevails, Puja on Jyeshtha, and Visarjan on Mula. Married women keep the vrat for the welfare and prosperity of the family, with an elaborate mahanaivedya feast on the Puja day. The five-day Ganpati often immerses on the Gauri Visarjan day, so the mother and son leave together.
Welcoming - the Goddess is invited into the home.
The main worship and grand feast (mahanaivedya).
Farewell - the Goddess is immersed, often with the five-day Ganpati.
Dates shown use the tithi (Bhadrapada Shukla Shashthi / Saptami / Ashtami) for Mumbai, Maharashtra; the classic observance follows the Anuradha, Jyeshtha and Mula nakshatras, which can shift the exact day - follow your local Panchang.
Anant Chaturdashi - the tenth day
The ten-day Ganesh Utsav closes on Anant Chaturdashi (Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi), this year on Friday, 25 September 2026 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is the day of the great public visarjan processions, when the largest sarvajanik idols are carried to the water with drums, dance and the chant of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”. The day is also kept as the Ananta Vrat, worshipping Vishnu as Ananta. The Ganesh Sthapana muhurat for your city is shown above.
What is Ganesh Utsav?
Ganesh Utsav (Ganeshotsav) is the ten-day festival of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and lord of beginnings. It opens on Ganesh Chaturthi - Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi - when clay idols are installed at home and in public pandals with the Pranapratishtha performed at midday, Ganesha’s birth-hour. The idol is worshipped for a chosen number of days - 1.5, 3, 5, 7 or 10 - and then carried in joyful procession for visarjan (immersion). The grandest observance is in Maharashtra and Goa, where the ten-day festival closes on Anant Chaturdashi.
The story of Ganesha’s birth
Goddess Parvati fashioned a boy from the turmeric paste of her body and set him to guard her door. When Shiva returned and the boy barred his way, Shiva in anger severed his head. To console the grieving Parvati, Shiva fixed the head of an elephant upon him and restored him to life, declaring that this child - Ganesha - would be worshipped first among all gods, before any undertaking. Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi is honoured as his birthday, and installing him at midday with durva grass, red flowers and modak is believed to bless the household with success in every new venture through the year.
Frequently asked questions
When is Ganesh Chaturthi this year in Mumbai, Maharashtra?
Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Monday, 14 September 2026 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The idol is installed (Sthapana / Pranapratishtha) in the Madhyahna (midday) muhurat - 11:20 am – 1:47 pm, the scriptural hour of Ganesha's birth.
How many days does the Ganpati stay before visarjan?
It varies by household and region - most commonly 1.5 (Dedh Din), 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. The ten-day Ganpati is immersed on Anant Chaturdashi. Use the selector above to see the visarjan date and auspicious immersion windows for each choice, computed for your city.
What is the best muhurat for Ganpati visarjan?
There is no single fixed visarjan muhurat - the immersion is done during the day's auspicious Choghadiya periods (Amrit, Shubh, Labh), while avoiding Rahu Kala, Yamaganda and Gulika Kala. The selector shows both the good windows and the ones to avoid for your chosen visarjan day and city.
What is the Ganesh Sthapana muhurat?
The idol installation and Pranapratishtha are done in the Madhyahna (midday) muhurat, Ganesha's birth-hour (11:20 am – 1:47 pm in Mumbai, Maharashtra). The Abhijit Muhurat at solar noon (12:09 pm – 12:58 pm) usually falls within this window and marks its most auspicious moment.
What is Gauri Pujan and how is it linked to Ganesh Utsav?
Gauri (Parvati, Ganesha's mother, also honoured as Mahalakshmi) visits her maternal home for three days during Ganeshotsav: Avahana (welcoming), Puja (worship and feast) and Visarjan (farewell). Married women keep it for the welfare of the family. The five-day Ganpati often immerses on the Gauri Visarjan day, so mother and son depart together.
Why should the moon not be seen on Ganesh Chaturthi?
Per the Syamantaka legend, viewing the moon on this Chaturthi brings a Mithya Dosha - a false accusation. If seen inadvertently, reciting the Syamantaka story is the prescribed remedy.
Last updated 28 July 2026