🐘 Sankashti Chaturthi (and Vinayaka Chaturthi) 2026

When is the next Sankashti — the Ganesha vrat on the Chaturthi of every Krishna Paksha, paran after the arghya to the risen Moon; Angarki on a Tuesday (the greatest); the Shukla Chaturthi = Vinayaka Chaturthi (midday puja); the moonrise times and upcoming dates above.

Sankashti Chaturthi ('the fourth that removes trouble') falls on the Chaturthi of the Krishna Paksha of every lunar month — four days after the Purnima; it is the monthly vrat of Ganesha kept from sunrise to moonrise and broken at night with an arghya to the Moon (Delhi's moonrise time above). If it falls on a Tuesday it is 'Angarki Sankashti' — the fruit of a whole year's Sankashtis in one (the greatest in Maharashtra).

The Chaturthi of the Shukla Paksha is 'Vinayaka Chaturthi' — Ganesha puja at midday, the Moon is not seen (the tale of the blemish); the Vinayaka Chaturthi of Bhadrapada is Ganesh Chaturthi itself, the Sankashti of Magha is Sakat Chauth. Every Sankashti has its own name — Vikata, Ekadanta, Krishnapingala, Gajanana, Heramba, Vighnaraja, Vakratunda, Ganadhipa, Akhuratha, Lambodara, Dwijapriya, Bhalachandra (in the list above). Women keep it for the blessing of children and the removal of the household's troubles, whole families in Maharashtra. Below are the vidhi, samagri, katha, the modak meal and regional customs.

Significance — why this vrat

Ganesha/Narada Purana: the Ganesha vrat and the Moon arghya on the Krishna Chaturthi bring the end of troubles, freedom from debt, removal of obstacles, the blessing of children; Ganesha cursed the Moon with a blemish and then ordained the arghya to that very Moon on Sankashti — without seeing the Moon the Sankashti is incomplete (the reverse on Vinayaka Chaturthi — seeing the Moon is forbidden).

Angarki Sankashti: Mangala (Angaraka) did penance to Ganesha and won the boon that the Tuesday Sankashti be named after him and its fruit equal a whole year's Sankashtis — hence lakhs at the temples of Maharashtra-Karnataka on Angarki (Siddhivinayak, Ashtavinayak, Dagdusheth). The Sankashti date is moonrise-vyapini — the day on which the Chaturthi is present at moonrise; Vinayaka's is midday-vyapini.

The names of the 12 Sankashtis (by the Amanta month): Chaitra-Vikata, Vaishakha-Ekadanta, Jyeshtha-Krishnapingala, Ashadha-Gajanana, Shravana-Heramba (Bahula), Bhadrapada-Vighnaraja, Ashwin-Vakratunda, Kartika-Ganadhipa, Margashirsha-Akhuratha, Pausha-Lambodara (= Sakat Chauth), Magha-Dwijapriya, Phalguna-Bhalachandra; Vibhuvana Sankashti in an Adhika month.

Puja vidhi (step by step)

This is the household Sankashti vidhi — the day's fast, the evening Ganesha puja and katha, the arghya and paran at moonrise; the midday puja of Vinayaka Chaturthi at the end.

1. Bathe in the morning, red/yellow clothes; sankalp — 'the (name) Sankashti Chaturthi vrat, for the removal of troubles/the blessing of children, paran after seeing the Moon and giving the arghya'; waterless (strict) or fruit (milk-fruit-sabudana) all day; remembrance of Ganesha 'Om Gam Ganapataye Namah'.
2. Evening (after sunset, before moonrise): bathe the Ganesha idol/picture (panchamrit-water), red cloth, sandalwood-sindoor, durva (21 — with 3 or 5 blades), red flowers (jaswand/hibiscus), shami leaves, modak/laddoo (21), fruit, paan-supari; incense and lamp; the Ganesha Atharvashirsha/the Sankatnashan Ganesha Stotra ('Pranamya shirasa devam…'), the Ganesha Chalisa.
3. Hear the katha (below — that month's Sankashti katha or the general Ganesha-Moon tale); the aarti 'Sukhkarta Dukhharta'/'Jai Ganesh Deva'; the camphor aarti.
4. Moonrise (time above — the Moon of the Krishna Chaturthi rises between 8:30 and 10 at night): arghya to the Moon with water-milk-akshat-flowers, 'Om Somaya Namah', the sight of the Moon; then naivedya for Ganesha; if cloudy, the arghya in the direction after the moonrise time.
5. Paran: after the arghya the Ganesha prasad (modak/laddoo), then the meal — sattvic (ukdiche modak and varan-bhaat in Maharashtra; sesame-jaggery/laddoo-kheer in the north); many homes without salt/once.
6. Angarki Sankashti: the same vidhi, Ganesha temple darshan, red flowers-jaggery-gram, the gift of masoor and jaggery for pacifying Mars; 21 modaks.
7. Vinayaka Chaturthi (Shukla Paksha): the fast from morning to noon; Ganesha puja at midday (11-1:30, Abhijit above), durva-modak, katha; paran after noon; do not see the Moon this day (if seen, read the Syamantaka tale); the Vinayaka of Bhadrapada = Ganesh Chaturthi (separate page).
8. Women's custom: a vow of 12 Sankashtis (one year) for the blessing of children; mothers for the welfare of children; udyapan — on completing 12, a Ganesha havan, 21 durva, feeding Brahmins, charity (the 'Sankashti udyapan' in Maharashtra).

Puja samagri checklist

Durva, modak, red flowers, sindoor, the pot for the Moon arghya — the Sankashti list.

• Ganesha idol/picture, wooden seat, red cloth, kalash, coconut, mango leaves
• Durva (21 — 3/5 blades), red flowers (jaswand-hibiscus-marigold), shami leaves, bel leaves (some customs)
• Sandalwood, sindoor, roli, turmeric, kumkum, akshat, mauli, sacred thread, perfume, paan-supari-clove-cardamom
• Panchamrit, Gangajal; lamp-ghee, incense, camphor, aarti thali, bell
• Naivedya: modak (steamed/fried) 21, besan/boondi/sesame laddoos, fruit (banana-guava-apple), jaggery-gram, kheer, panchmewa
• The Moon arghya: copper pot, water-milk-akshat-flowers
• The Ganesha Atharvashirsha/Sankatnashan Stotra/Sankashti katha book, rudraksha/sandalwood mala
• Angarki/pacifying Mars: red clothes, jaggery-gram, masoor (charity)

🛍 Puja samagri & yantras 🙏 Book a puja

Vrat katha (the story)

Ganesha and the Moon's blemish: the Moon laughed at Ganesha's form (the big belly, the elephant face); Ganesha cursed — 'whoever sees you will be blemished'; at the gods' prayer the curse was softened — only seeing the Moon on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi) brings blemish, and whoever sees the Moon and worships Ganesha on the Krishna Chaturthi (Sankashti) will have their troubles cut. Hence the fast is broken on Sankashti after seeing the Moon, and the Moon is not seen on Vinayaka Chaturthi.

The tale of Angaraka: Angaraka (Mars), son of sage Bharadwaja and the Earth, did severe penance to Ganesha; on Magha Krishna Chaturthi, a Tuesday, Ganesha appeared — 'ask a boon'; Angaraka asked 'let my name be joined to yours, and let whoever keeps the Tuesday Sankashti gain the fruit of a whole year's Sankashtis' — since then Angarki Sankashti; Mars gained a place among the planets, and Mangal dosha is pacified through Ganesha.

Krishna and the Syamantaka (Vinayaka Chaturthi): Krishna saw the Moon on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi; a false blemish of stealing the Syamantaka jewel fell on him; Narada explained it was the fruit of seeing the Chaturthi Moon; Krishna kept the Ganesha vrat, the jewel was found and the blemish erased — hence do not see the Moon on Vinayaka Chaturthi; if seen, reading/hearing the Syamantaka tale is the remedy. Every month's Sankashti has its own katha (Ganesha Purana) — read on the vrat day.

Modak, durva, jaggery-gram, sesame laddoo — Ganapati's thali; the meal after the Moon

On Sankashti the fast all day, the modak prasad and meal after the Moon arghya; modak for Ganesha (ukdiche — steamed — the mark of Maharashtra), laddoos (besan-boondi-sesame), jaggery-gram, banana; tilkut on Sakat Chauth; laddoo-kheer-poori in the north; milk-fruit-sabudana on the vrat day.

• Ukdiche modak (a steamed rice-flour shell with a coconut-jaggery filling — 21), fried modak, besan/boondi/motichoor laddoo, sesame-jaggery laddoo (the Magha Sankashti/Sakat)
• Jaggery-gram (soaked/roasted), banana-guava-apple, panchmewa, kheer, poori-halwa (north), durva water
• Fasting fare: milk, fruit, sabudana khichdi, makhana, coconut water; those keeping waterless — nothing
• The paran meal: Maharashtra — varan-bhaat-modak, puran poli (Angarki); Karnataka — kadubu-payasam; Tamil (Sankatahara Chaturthi) — kozhukattai (modak), sundal; Gujarat — lapsi-laddoo; north — laddoo-kheer-poori, tilkut (Sakat)
• Angarki: 21 modaks and red flowers, the gift of jaggery-gram for pacifying Mars; Vinayaka Chaturthi (noon): modak-banana-panchmewa, the midday meal

Regional customs

The Angarki of Maharashtra, the Sankatahara of the Tamils, the Sakat of the north, the Ganesha devotion of Karnataka — the Chauth of every month.

Do's and don'ts

Frequently asked questions

📲 Share on WhatsApp

Also read: Sakat Chauth (the Magha Sankashti) · Ganesh Chaturthi (the Bhadrapada Vinayaka) · Karwa Chauth (Kartika Krishna Chaturthi) · Ekadashi vrat

⚠️ This description follows traditional vidhi and folk belief; the custom of your family and region comes first. The moonrise time is for Delhi — see your city's panchang; do not keep a waterless fast in ill health.

🌐 यह पन्ना हिन्दी में पढ़ें · ← All vrat & festivals · Full festival calendar