Ganesh Chaturthi 2026: Start and End Date

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 starts on Monday, 14 September, when the idol is ceremonially installed (Sthapana). But there's no single end date that applies to everyone — Ganeshotsav is observed for anywhere from 1.5 to 11 days depending on family or community custom, so "when does it end" really depends on which duration you're asking about.

Start date: Monday, 14 September 2026

Ganesh Chaturthi begins on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi — the fourth day of the waxing moon in the lunar month of Bhadrapada. For 2026, this Tithi begins at 7:06 AM on 14 September and runs until 7:44 AM on 15 September. Since the Tithi is active at sunrise on the 14th, that's the observed civil date, and it's when Ganesh Sthapana — installing the idol at home or in a pandal — is performed. Sthapana itself is traditionally done in the Madhyahna (midday) period, not at sunrise, since this is believed to be the hour of Ganesha's own birth. See the full city-wise Sthapana muhurat table for exact midday windows across six major cities.

End date: it depends on your duration

This is where Ganesh Chaturthi differs from a festival like Diwali that's over in a single day. Ganeshotsav is a multi-day observance, and every household or mandal chooses how long to keep the idol before Visarjan (immersion). The full traditional observance ends on Anant Chaturdashi — Friday, 25 September 2026 — but most families end sooner, on one of these traditional durations:

Duration	2026 end date	Also known as
1.5 days	Tuesday, 15 September (morning)	Dedh Divas
3 days	Wednesday, 16 September	Gauri-Ganpati
5 days	Friday, 18 September	—
7 days	Sunday, 20 September	—
10–11 days	Friday, 25 September	Anant Chaturdashi

None of these is "more correct" than another — what matters traditionally is the sincerity of the daily aarti during the days the idol is kept, not the number of days itself. A 1.5-day Ganpati is just as complete an observance as an 11-day one; the difference is usually household size, space, and family custom rather than religious obligation.

So how long does the festival run overall?

Counting from the earliest possible start (Sthapana, 14 September) to the latest possible end (the main Visarjan, 25 September), Ganeshotsav 2026 spans 12 calendar days start to finish — though any single household only observes a slice of that window, ending on whichever Visarjan date matches their chosen duration from the table above.

For the complete day-by-day calendar — including Rishi Panchami, Gauri Avahan, and every Visarjan date marked against the full 12-day span — see the Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 page. For the story and traditions behind the festival itself, see the Ganesh Chaturthi overview.