Ganesh Chaturthi in Ayodhya

Ganesh Chaturthi in Ayodhya

Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi, the fourth tithi of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada. It honours Ganesha, and in Ayodhya it opens a ten-day Ganesh utsav.

Date and timing in this city

For Ayodhya (अयोध्या), India, in the Asia/Kolkata time zone, the date is:

• 2026: Monday 14 September 2026
• 2027: Saturday 4 September 2027

These dates are computed for Ayodhya's own sunrise. Chaturthi is the fourth tithi of the bright fortnight, and the day it is observed is fixed by when that tithi is running at the local sunrise. Because sunrise in Ayodhya is not the same moment as sunrise elsewhere, the date given here is the one to follow in this city.

Why the date can differ from India

A single "India date" is a convenience, not a rule. The tithi is a span of time, and different cities cross into sunrise at different moments. A tithi that is current at one city's sunrise may have ended, or not yet begun, at another's. That is why a panchangam computed for Ayodhya can place the festival a day away from a national listing or from a city in another longitude.

There are also two reckonings of the lunar month in use. In the amanta system the month ends at new moon; in the purnimanta system it ends at full moon. Traditions differ, and North Indian practice often follows purnimanta while parts of the South follow amanta. Smarta and Vaishnava households may also differ on which moment of the tithi they treat as the one to observe. Where customs differ, the family's own tradition and the local panchangam are the usual guides.

Where and how the community celebrates

Ganesh Chaturthi is observed pan-India, and Ayodhya takes part in that wider pattern. The ten-day utsav is a period of daily worship, with the murti installed and honoured through the days and the observance closing at the end of the utsav. Practices vary by household and region: some keep a small murti at home, others join a neighbourhood celebration, and the style of aarti, offerings and readings follows the family's own tradition.

Practical tips

• Check the panchangam computed for Ayodhya rather than relying on a general national date.
• Note that the observance runs for ten days, not one.
• Follow your family's and local tradition where customs differ.
• For personal charts and muhurta, consult a qualified jyotishi.