Ganesh Chaturthi 2026: the muhurat, the modaks, and how Braj welcomes Ganpati

Key facts at a glance

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026: an overview

For ten days each autumn, homes and streets across India throw open their doors to an honoured guest, the elephant-headed remover of obstacles and the air fills with the scent of modaks, the sound of the aarti and cries of Ganpati Bappa Morya. In 2026, that joyful welcome begins on Monday, September 14, when Ganesha is installed in the auspicious muhurat and ends on Friday, September 25, on Anant Chaturdashi, when the idol is carried to the water for the grand visarjan.

Ganesh Chaturthi, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi, celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom and new beginnings, worshipped first before all the gods. This guide covers Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 in full: the exact dates, muhurat and tithi timings; the significance and story of the festival; the puja vidhi and the full samagri list; recipes for modak, the beloved bhog; and how the festival is celebrated in Mathura and Vrindavan, the land of Krishna. For the other great festival of the season, see our diwali 2026 guide.

From the ground (Gurudutt): Ganesh Chaturthi has its heart in Maharashtra, but it is kept with love across India and here in Braj too, in our own quieter way. If you are keeping it at home, the main thing is the Sthapana in the muhurat, 11:02 in the morning to half past one and then the daily worship with durva grass, red flowers and, of course, modaks. If you are in Mathura or Vrindavan around the festival, do visit the Mota Ganesh Mandir near Banke Bihari in Vrindavan, where the Sindoor Abhishek on Chaturthi is quite something; we do not have the great processions of Mumbai here, but the temples are beautifully decorated and the darshan is heartfelt. Do remember the dates change every year, so I keep this guide updated. Muhurat timings shift a little by city, so check your local panchang too. See our Mathura Vrindavan tour Package  or message WhatsApp +91 7302265809. 

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 dates and muhurat

Here are the key dates and timings for Ganesh Chaturthi 2026, so you can plan the Sthapana, the Gauri days and the Visarjan.

Festival schedule and key dates

Muhurat and tithi timings

So the Ganpati Sthapana is done on Monday, September 14, in the Madhyahna muhurat of 11:02 AM to 1:31 PM and the festival concludes with the Ganesh Visarjan on Friday, September 25. So note the Gauri days in between if you keep that tradition. So plan your Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 around these dates, noting that muhurat timings vary a little by city, so confirm your local panchang.

The significance of Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, revered as Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom, learning and auspicious beginnings, worshipped first before any new venture or puja. By the tradition, Ganesha was created by Parvati and given the head of an elephant by Shiva, who blessed him to be worshipped first among all the gods.

By the tradition, during the ten days of the festival Ganesha dwells in the home as an honoured guest, receiving daily worship, bhog and aarti, before the visarjan, when the idol is immersed and Ganesha returns to his abode, taking away the obstacles and sorrows of his devotees. The festival concludes on Anant Chaturdashi with the grand visarjan. By a well-known tradition, one avoids seeing the moon on the night of Ganesh Chaturthi. We present the significance and the stories as the cherished belief and tradition holds them, held with faith and recounted with reverence, the beloved festival of Lord Ganesha.

Ganesh Chaturthi puja vidhi and samagri

The Ganesh Chaturthi puja is done by cleansing the place and setting the idol on a chowki with a red cloth; doing the Ganpati Sthapana in the muhurat; invoking Ganesha with the pran pratishtha; offering water, panchamrit, chandan, akshat, durva grass, red flowers, incense and a lamp; offering the bhog of modaks and fruits; and performing the aarti with camphor, morning and evening through the festival. Below is the samagri, the items to gather in advance.

So gather the idol, the kalash set, the sacred offerings, the powders, the panchamrit, the lamp and the naivedya in advance. So the durva grass and the modaks are the most cherished offerings. So prepare the samagri beforehand for a smooth and devotional Ganesh Chaturthi puja at home. We present the vidhi with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, the worship of Lord Ganesha.

Modak recipes for the bhog

Modak, the sweet dumpling of coconut and jaggery, is the most beloved offering to Lord Ganesha, who is fondly called Modakapriya; here are the classic steamed and the North Indian fried versions, offered often in twenty-one pieces.

Ukadiche Modak (classic steamed)

Filling: 1 cup fresh grated coconut, half a cup grated jaggery, half a teaspoon cardamom powder, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional), 1 teaspoon ghee.

Dough: 1 cup rice flour, 1.25 cups water, 1 teaspoon ghee, a pinch of salt.

• Make the filling: heat the ghee, add the poppy seeds, then the coconut and jaggery; cook on low heat until the jaggery melts and the mixture thickens (do not overcook or it hardens); add cardamom, mix and cool.

• Make the dough: boil the water with the salt and ghee; lower the heat, add the rice flour, stir quickly to remove lumps, cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes, then rest covered for 5 minutes.

• Knead the warm dough into a soft, smooth ball, using a little water or oil on your palms if it sticks.

• Shape a lemon-sized ball into a thin cup, place a spoon of filling inside, pinch the edges into pleats, bring them together at the top and seal.

• Steam the modaks for about 10 to 12 minutes on a greased or leaf-lined plate and drizzle with warm ghee before offering.

Fried modak (quick North Indian version)

Ingredients: 1 cup wheat flour (atta), water, a pinch of salt; the same coconut and jaggery filling as above.

• Make a stiff dough, like puri dough, from the wheat flour, water and salt.

• Roll out small circles, stuff with the coconut-jaggery filling and seal them into modak shapes.

• Deep fry in ghee or oil on medium heat until golden brown and cool before offering.

So the steamed Ukadiche Modak and the fried modak are both offered as the beloved bhog of Ganesh Chaturthi, often with laddus and fruits. So offer them with devotion. We present the bhog with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, the cherished modak of Lord Ganesha.

Ganesh Chaturthi in Mathura and Vrindavan

In Mathura and Vrindavan, the land of Krishna, Ganesh Chaturthi is kept with a distinct spiritual fervour, focused on the abhishek of Ganesha and the beautiful phool bangla or flower decoration, of the temples, rather than the massive public processions of Maharashtra; the Ganesh temples hold special pujas and draw larger crowds. The chief Ganesh temples of Braj are:

• Mota Ganesh Mandir, Vrindavan: in the Athakhamba area near the banke bihari temple, perhaps the most significant local celebration; its deity is revered as self-manifested and it draws large crowds for a special Sindoor Abhishek on Chaturthi.

• Dashbhuji Ganesh Temple, Mathura: in Choubey Para near the Yamuna ghats, one of the oldest Ganesh temples of the city, honouring the ten-armed Ganesha, with special pujas on the festival.

• Siddhivinayak Temple, Mathura: on Shankar Mandal Road near Deeg Gate, known for its beautiful decorations during Ganesh Chaturthi.

• Shri Ganesh Temple, Gokul and Mahaban: an ancient temple near the Gokul bus stand and Langoti Kund, visited by local devotees for quiet prayer.

In Mathura, devotees often offer laddus and the famous local pedas alongside modaks, the sweets of Braj woven into the bhog. So Braj keeps Ganesh Chaturthi with abhishek, flower decoration and special pujas at its Ganesh temples. So visit the Mota Ganesh and the other shrines for the festival. You can also take in the great Krishna temples, such as the krishna janmabhoomi temple and the dwarkadhish temple mathura, on the same trip; our places to visit near mathura guide covers more. We present the celebration with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, Ganesh Chaturthi in the land of Krishna.

How to celebrate at home and eco-friendly tips

Ganesh Chaturthi is above all a home festival. Do the Ganpati Sthapana on September 14 in the muhurat, place the idol on a red-clothed chowki with the kalash beside it, invoke Ganesha with the pran pratishtha and keep the daily worship, bhog and aarti, morning and evening, for one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days, as your family keeps it. Offer durva grass, red flowers, modaks and laddus and share the prasad.

For an eco-friendly celebration, choose a clay or shadu, idol rather than plaster of Paris, use natural colours and fresh flowers and do the visarjan at home by immersing a small clay idol in a tub of water and using the water for your plants or at a designated tank; end with the final aarti and a prayer for Ganesha's return next year. So keep the festival with daily devotion and an eco-friendly idol and visarjan. So it honours both Ganesha and the earth. We present it with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, the joyful home worship of Lord Ganesha.

Visiting Braj for the festival and how to plan

Ganesh Chaturthi, in mid-September, falls at the warm, humid end of the monsoon, so if you visit Mathura and Vrindavan for the festival, come prepared for the weather; the Ganesh temples, above all Mota Ganesh, are busier for the special pujas, so come early for a calmer darshan. The Krishna Janmabhoomi has strict security, with no phones or bags inside and the temples close for a while at midday, so check the mathura vrindavan temple timings and plan around them. Reach Braj by road via the Yamuna Expressway, by train to Mathura Junction or by air to Delhi or Agra; our how to reach vrindavan and how to commute in vrindavan guides help. The best time overall to visit Braj is the cool season; see our best time to visit vrindavan mathura guide.

We arrange Mathura and Vrindavan tours during Ganesh Chaturthi and through the year, taking in the Ganesh temples and the great Krishna temples, with the transport, the routing timed around the darshan hours and the pujas and a knowledgeable local guide; our mathura vrindavan tour itinerary helps you plan. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free at the temples; our two-day mathura vrindavan tour covers the twin cities and our one-day vrindavan tour package Vrindavan. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809 with your dates to plan your visit to Braj for Ganesh Chaturthi 2026.

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