Ganesh Chaturthi in Delhi

Date and timing in this city

In Delhi, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi, the fourth tithi of the waxing fortnight of Bhadrapada. The date is reckoned for Delhi's own sunrise and for the Asia/Kolkata time zone, which Delhi shares.

For the years given in this brief, the date in Delhi is:

• Monday 14 September 2026
• Saturday 4 September 2027

The deity honoured is Ganesha, and the observance that begins on this tithi is the 10-day Ganesh utsav. The festival is pan-India in scope, so Delhi's date sits within a wider national observance rather than standing apart from it.

Why the date can differ from India

Panchang dates are not decided by a single national clock. They are decided by the tithi and by the sunrise of the place where the observance is kept. Because the tithi is a moving lunar measure and sunrise differs from city to city, the same Chaturthi can be assigned to one calendar day in one part of India and to a neighbouring day elsewhere.

Delhi's reckoning therefore follows Delhi's sunrise, even though the time zone is the same as the rest of the country. This is the ordinary working of jyotish, not a discrepancy. Where a family or community follows a different convention — North and South, Smarta and Vaishnava, amanta and purnimanta — the day observed may also differ slightly. Traditions differ on such points, and it is best to follow the practice of your own household or lineage. For personal chart questions, consult a qualified jyotishi.

Where and how the community celebrates

Ganesh Chaturthi in Delhi is kept as a home and neighbourhood observance, and it opens the ten days of Ganesh utsav. Households install a murti of Ganesha, offer durva grass, modak and flowers, and recite the usual prayers and aarti. Many families observe the day with a fast until the evening puja.

Across the city, the utsav is also a shared, street-level occasion: pandals are raised, devotional music is sung, and the days close with visarjan. Delhi's celebrations draw on the many regional communities settled here, so the style of puja, the food offered, and the scale of the gathering vary from one locality to the next. No single form is standard.

Practical tips

• Check the local panchang for Delhi's sunrise on the day, since the tithi is reckoned from it.
• Confirm whether your family follows amanta or purnimanta reckoning before fixing the date.
• Plan the ten days of utsav in advance if you are hosting or joining a neighbourhood celebration.
• Keep the fast simple and suited to your own health and circumstances.
• For anything tied to your personal chart, speak with a qualified jyotishi.