Ganesh Chaturthi, a vibrant Hindu festival honoring the birth of Lord Ganesha, the deity revered as the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom and prosperity, will be celebrated on August 27, 2025. This joyous occasion, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, falls during the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi of the Bhadrapada month, as per the Hindu lunar calendar, and spans 10 to 11 days, concluding with the Ganesh Visarjan on September 6, 2025, on Anant Chaturdashi.
Devotees welcome Lord Ganesha into their homes with elaborate decorations, including vibrant flowers and intricate rangoli designs. The festival involves traditional rituals such as early morning baths, fasting, and daily puja ceremonies. The Bombay Samachar notes that the auspicious timing for Ganesh Sthapana, or idol installation, begins at 2:55 AM on August 27, 2025, and ends at 12:42 AM on August 28, 2025, with the Madhyahna Puja Muhurat from 11:06 AM to 1:38 PM on August 27, 2025. Devotees are advised to avoid performing rituals during Rahu Kaal, from 12:26 PM to 2:04 PM on the same day.
The festival fosters community spirit, with families and neighborhoods uniting in devotional singing, drumming, and traditional dances. Homes are adorned with clay idols of Lord Ganesha placed on altars, often draped with red or yellow cloth and bathed in Panchamrit, a sacred mixture of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar. Sweets like modak and motichoor laddus are offered as prasad. The celebrations culminate in the Ganesh Visarjan, where idols are immersed in water bodies, symbolizing Lord Ganesha’s return to Mount Kailash, with hopes for his return the following year.
Rooted in Hindu mythology, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates Lord Ganesha’s creation by Goddess Parvati and his revival by Lord Shiva with an elephant’s head. This festival, widely celebrated in Maharashtra and other states, brings blessings of wisdom, prosperity, and success.