Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: Dates, Timings, Rituals, and Celebrations

Hindus celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, as the birth of the adorable elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesh is revered as the god of knowledge, wealth, and luck. One of the most extensively observed festivals in India is Ganesh Chaturthi, which is observed mostly in Maharashtra as well as in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu. Of all the Hindu gods and goddesses, Lord Ganesh is one of the most worshipped as he is regarded as the remover of all barriers.

As Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 approaches on September 7th, devotees are preparing to celebrate this auspicious occasion with great fanfare. To elevate your celebration, you might explore Top 10 Ganesh Chaturthi Decoration Ideas, which offer creative ways to adorn your home and welcome Lord Ganesha in style.

Every year, on the Chaturthi tithi of Shukla Paksha, Ganesh Chaturthi is observed. It is thought that Lord Ganesha pays his devotees visits and bestows blessings over these 10 days. Anant Chaturdashi, or Ganesh Visarjan, marks the conclusion of Ganesh Utsav. On this day, worshippers submerge Lord Ganesha’s idols in bodies of water. According to Hindu mythology, on Visarjan day, Lord Ganesha goes back to Mount Kailash to rejoin his parents, Lord Shiva and Paravati.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Date: Four Primary Rituals to be Followed During the Celebration

These are Ganesh Uttar Puja, Ganpati Visarjan, Shodashopachara, and Avahana, also known as Pran Pratishtha. To sanctify the idol of Lord Ganesha, devotees do Deep-Prajwalan, take Sankalpa, and chant mantras as part of the Avahana or Pran Pratishtha ritual. The idol of Lord Ganesha is then installed in the house, temple, or pandal.

In the Shodashopachara rites, followers offer fresh flowers, akshata, sindoor, and Chandan, wash Lord Ganesha’s feet, bathe the idol in milk, ghee, honey, curd, and sugar, and finally, tilak the Ganpati idol with sandalwood.

In the meantime, during Visarjan, the Ganesh Uttar Puja is conducted. This custom is carried out on the tenth day of the celebration as a farewell. Regarding Ganpati Visarjan, it is the final Ganesh Chaturthi rite in which the idol of Ganesha is submerged in water while the participants recite the mantra Ganapati Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya.

If you’re planning to add a personal touch to your celebrations, consider these Top 10 Unique Rangoli Designs for Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 to create vibrant patterns that honor the spirit of the festival.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Puja Samagri

For the Ganesh Chaturthi puja, devotees need ghee, diya, akshat, flowers, roli, red cloth, Ganga jal, sweets (like modak), fruits, Panchamrit, cardamom, clove, coconut, and Supari. It is recommended to read the Ganesha Chalisa and perform the Ganesh Mantra during the occasion.

When is Ganesh Chaturthi in 2024 Shubh Muhurat

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 will be observed on Saturday, September 7, 2024, this year. The celebration often lasts for ten days, concluding on Anant Chaturdashi, when the statue of Lord Ganesha is submerged in water. It normally takes place in the months of Bhadrapada (August through September).

The best moment to bring Lord Ganesha’s idol home is on Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 when the Shubh Muhurat starts at 11:09 AM and concludes at 1:36 PM. Devotees can carry out the Pran Pratishtha ritual, which entails calling the deity inside the idol, at this time.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Citywise Shubh Muhurat:

Pune: 11:18 AM – 01:47 PM

New Delhi – 11:03 AM – 01:34 PM

Chennai  10:53 AM – 01:21 PM 

Jaipur 11:09 AM – 01:40 PM 

Hyderabad 11:00 AM – 01:28 PM 

Gurgaon 11:04 AM – 01:35 PM 

Chandigarh 11:05 AM – 01:36 PM 

Kolkata 10:20 AM -12:49 PM

Mumbai 11:22 AM – 01:51 PM

Bangalore 11:04 AM – 01:31 PM 

Ahmedabad 11:23 AM – 01:52 PM 

Noida 11:03 AM – 01:33 PM 

Detailed Timings: 

If you’re thinking of gifting something special during this time, consider these Best Gift Ideas for Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 to make the celebration even more memorable.

Ganesh Chaturthi rituals to be performed

To start with the ritual, it is a must to prepare our surroundings, which begins by cleaning the house and the pooja area where the idol of Lord Ganesha would be installed. After this, all the items that are to be used in the puja need to be there, where Lord Ganesh would be. These include a clay statue of Lord Ganesha, flowers, incense, sweets, lamps, fruits, and other traditional puja items.

During Ganesh Chaturthi, there are four primary rituals performed: 

1. The procedure by which the god is infused into an idol is known as pran pratishtha.
2. Shhodashopachara is the following ceremony. It consists of 16 different ways to honor Lord Ganesha on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi. 
3. Uttar Puja or the Puja performed after the idol is infused, is the third rite. 
4. The idol is submerged in water during the Ganesh Visarjan ceremony, which is the last rite.

Things to be kept in mind:

Pratishtha Direction: To invite blessings and positive energy into your home, place the Ganesha statue in the northeast corner of your house, facing north. Begin by selecting a clean platform and covering it with a cloth before positioning the statue. This arrangement is believed to enhance the flow of good energy in your home.

Worship Rituals: During the cleansing ceremony, pour pure Gangajal (holy water) and rice over the installed idol. Place the idol next to images of Riddhi and Siddhi, representing wealth and spiritual strength. Position a vessel of water to the right of the idol. Complete the ritual by offering flowers, fruits, and sweets, especially modaks, to Lord Ganesha. Conclude with chanting mantras and performing an aarti, which involves raising lit lamps in front of the deity. 

Avoid Moon sighting

According to Hindu legend, seeing the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi might result in false allegations of stealing, called Mithya Dosham or Mithya Kalank. This belief’s genesis is connected to a legendary occurrence involving Lord Ganesh.

According to legend, Lord Ganesh fell from his mooshak (mouse) during a ride. Lord Ganesh was enraged by this misfortune, which made the moon laugh. He was so furious that he cursed the moon, saying that everyone who saw it on the eve of Shukla Chaturthi in the month of Bhadrapada would be wrongly blamed and degraded.

If There Is an Unintentional Viewing of the Moon
Chanting the following mantra is thought to help lessen the impact of the curse on seeing the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi.

“Simhah Prasenamavadhitsimho Jambavata Hatah।

Sukumaraka Marodistava Hyesha Syamantakah॥”

Ganesh Visarjan

Typically, 11 days follow the first day of the celebration for the Visarjan, or immersion of the idols. Hindus worship their gods as statues and idols because it gives them a physical form to address in prayer.

On the other hand, they think that form eventually gives way to formlessness and that energy is unaffected by this ongoing change in the cosmos. As a reminder of this religion, sculptures, and idols are submerged in seas and other bodies of water.

On the first, third, seventh, and tenth days of the festival, Ganesha idols can be submerged. In grandiose processions, complete with loud music and dancing to the beat of the dhol, devotees carry the idols.

Ganesh Chaturthi celebration

In India, Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most extensively observed holidays. Beautifully painted and carved idols of Ganesha are placed both privately in houses and publicly on ornate stages.
Even local villages vie with one another to erect magnificent exhibits and sculptures of Ganesha.

The term “pandals” refers to the phases. Adherents use elaborate attire and even create rangolis outside their residences.
The worshippers recite prayers in praise of Ganesha and show him respect by dousing him with coconuts, flowers, and prasad.

The 11-day celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi has become an essential component of the nation’s cultural landscape. It is a time when families may come together and visit neighbors and relatives. The 11-day celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi has become an essential component of the nation’s cultural landscape.

 In what way is Ganesh Chaturthi observed? 

Statues of Ganesh are smeared in a special paste and adorned with red and yellow flowers to commemorate the beginning of the celebration. Ganesh is worshiped with offerings that include modaks; a meal said to be his favorite and coconuts.

These sculptures are carried in enormous processions to the lakes, rivers, and seas when the celebration is done. In honor of the voyage, there is communal drumming, singing, and dancing during this procession. When they go to the water, the sculptures of Ganesh are submerged in the river or sea, symbolizing Ganesh’s return to his parent’s house on the holy peak of Kailash.

However, you may observe this much-loved holiday in an environmentally responsible way that honors tradition and benefits the environment by making a few thoughtful decisions and creative ideas.

Choose eco-friendly Ganesha idols that are constructed of clay or other natural materials that dissolve in water to ensure that the immersion procedure doesn’t produce any pollution.

Natural Accents:
Bring a sense of refinement to your events by substituting natural decorations like flowers, leaves, and biodegradable materials with artificial ones.

Renewable Sourced Materials:
To reduce trash creation, use reusable or biodegradable materials such as plant-based plates, glasses, and utensils while putting up pandals or arranging poojas.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the date for Ganesh Chaturthi in 2024?

Ganesh Chaturthi falls on September 7, 2024. On September 16, Anant Chaturdashi falls. The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi honors Lord Ganesh’s birthday. For Hindus, it’s the most auspicious day to worship the deity with elephant head, whom they adore for their capacity to remove impediments. 

• How long is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?

In Hinduism, Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day celebration commemorating the birth of the elephant-headed god Ganesha, who is known as the knowledge and wealth god. It starts on the fourth day, or Chaturthi, of Bhadrapada, the sixth month in the Hindu calendar, which runs from August to September.

• What is the significance of Ganesh Visarjan?

The custom of Visarjan involves submerging the clay image of Ganesha in a body of water. This is done to commemorate the start of Ganesha’s ascent to his celestial abode. The cycle of birth and death is symbolized by the Visarjan rite. It honors the truth of life, which is centered on these two realities.

Furthermore, there is a deeper significance behind the idols’ submersion in water. The idol is the soul looking for redemption, and the ocean or other body of water is a representation of the infinite (God). The immortal soul surrenders itself and departs from its mortal body to become one with the ultimate.

• What are the best ways to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi at home?

You have the chance to commemorate Lord Ganesha by creating a joyful and spiritual atmosphere in your house by decorating for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Choose the area of your house that will act as the center of attention for the festivities first. To fit the idol and facilitate visitor mobility, this space has to be tidy, roomy, and well-ventilated.

Include customary décor like rangoli, which are elaborate designs created on the ground with colorful powders or flowers.

A crucial part of Ganeshtsav is organizing the Puja and rituals, which guarantees the holiness and spiritual atmosphere of the festivities. Start by enumerating all the supplies needed for the Puja, including flowers, incense, and offerings.