Hindu festival · San Francisco Bay Area
Ganesh Chaturthi
Dates for the Bay Area
- Monday, 14 September 2026Major festival
- Friday, 3 September 2027Major festivalnext
- Wednesday, 23 August 2028Major festival
Why it matters
Celebrates Ganesha’s appearance and invokes wisdom and the removal of obstacles before new beginnings.
The story behind it
Many traditions narrate Ganesha’s creation by Parvati and his restoration by Shiva with an elephant head; the festival also emphasizes bringing the divine into home and community life.
Prayers and worship
Ganesha pooja, pranapratishtha where idols are installed, “Om Gam Ganapataye Namah,” Ganesha Atharvashirsha, bhajans and arati.
Fasting and devotional customs
Fasting and household customs vary; follow the temple or family tradition for this observance.
What is typically offered
Modak, durva grass, red flowers, coconut, fruit and lamps.
Visiting a temple that day
Public and temple celebrations may include decorated Ganesha images, cultural programs and later visarjan. Visitors should follow the temple’s rules around processions and immersion.
Spiritual themes
Wisdom, auspicious beginnings, humility and letting go.
Request this pooja
Ask Sri Kumar Gurukkal about a pooja for Ganesh Chaturthi — at your home, at a temple, or with family joining remotely. A request is an enquiry, not a booking.
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Subscribe to the festival calendar Share on WhatsAppBackground reading
- Why Gaṇapati is worshipped firstAlmost every Hindu ceremony opens with Gaṇapati.
The 2026–27 dates were compiled from a Northern-California Panchāṅgam reference for the Fremont / Bay Area location. The 2028 date is computed by this site’s own engine from a rule a cited source establishes: Bhādrapada śukla caturthī, judged at madhyāhna — the third fifth of sunrise to sunset. No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. They can differ from a calendar computed for another city or another sampradāya. Please confirm any date on which you plan a ceremony with Sri Kumar Gurukkal. How these dates are calculated →