Sankashti Chaturthi | Date, Time, Rituals, and Significance

Sankashti Chaturthi, also called Sankatahara Chaturthi, in south Indian states, is an auspicious festival for Hindus, celebrated in honour of Lord Ganesha.

Next Sankashti Chaturthi is on Thursday, July 06, 2023

Sankashti chaturthi Jul, 2023 tithi timing: July 06, 6:30 am - July 07, 3:13 am

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It is observed during every Hindu Calendar month on the ‘chaturthi’ (fourth day) of the Krishna Paksha (the waning phase of moon). Furthermore, when Sankashti Chaturthi falls on a Tuesday, it is popular as Angarki Chaturthi and is considered to be the most auspicious of all the Sankashti Chaturthi days.

The celebrations of the festival are prevalent in both northern and southern states of India. In the state of Maharashtra, the festivities are even more elaborate and grandeur. The word ‘sankashti’ has a Sanskrit origin and it implies ‘deliverance during difficult times’ whereas ‘chaturthi’ means ‘fourth day or the day of Lord Ganesha’. Therefore, on this propitious day, devotees worship Lord Ganesha to help them overcome all the obstacles in life and come out victorious in every tough situation.

Rituals of Sankashti Chaturthi:

On the day of Sankashti Chaturthi, devotees get up early and dedicate the day worshipping Lord Ganesha. They observe a strict fast in the honour of their deity. Some people can also keep a partial fast. The observer of this fast can only devour fruits, vegetables and roots of plants. The staple Indian diet on this day comprises of peanuts, potatoes and sabudana khichadi.

The Sankashti puja is done in the evening, after seeing the moon. The idol of Lord Ganesha is decorated with Durva grass and fresh flowers. A lamp is also lit during this time. Other usual puja rituals like lighting incense and reciting the Vedic mantras are also performed. After this the devotees read the ‘vrat katha’ specific to the month. The fast is broken only after worshiping Lord Ganesha in the evening and sighting of the moon.

Special ‘naivedya’ comprising of modaks and other favourite eatables of Lord Ganesha is prepared as offering. This is followed by an ‘aarti’ and later the prasad is distributed among all the devotees.

On the day of Sankashti Chaturthi, special puja rituals are also dedicated to Moon or Chandra God. This involves sprinkling water, chandan (sandalwood) paste, consecrated rice and flowers in the direction of moon.

On this day it is auspicious to recite the ‘Ganesha Ashtothra’, ‘Sankashtnashana sthothra’ and ‘Vakrathunda Mahakaya’ to name a few. In fact any other Vedic mantras dedicated to Lord Ganesha can be chanted.

Sankashti Chaturthi tithi timing July, 2023

Significance of Sankashti Chaturthi:

On the sacred day of Sankashti Chaturthi, there is a special significance in sighting the moon. The ardent devotees of Lord Ganesha believe that by praying to their deity with dedication, especially on the Angarki Chaturthi day, all their desires will be fulfilled and they will lead a prosperous life. Childless couples also observe the Sankashti Chaturthi vrat to be blessed with a progeny.

As Sankashti Chaturthi is observed every Lunar month, in each month God Ganesha is worshipped with different peeta (Lotus petals) and name. There are total of 13 vrats, with each vrat having a specific purpose and story, known as ‘vrat katha’. Therefore there are 13 ‘vrat katha’ in total, one for every month and the last katha is for ‘adika’ that is the one extra month that comes every four years in the Hindu calendar.

The details of Sankashti Ganapati puja for every month are given below:

The story of each of this vrat is unique for every month and is recited in that month alone. As per the Hindu scriptures, on this holy day Lord Shiva declared the supremacy of His son, Sankashti(another name for Lord Ganesha) over other Gods, except Vishnu, Lakshmi and Parvati.

From then onwards, Lord Sankashti is worshipped as the God of prosperity, good fortune and freedom. It is believed that on the day of Sankashti Chaturthi, Lord Ganesha, for all His devotees, bestows His presence of Earth. The significance of Sankashti Chaturthi vrat is mentioned in the ‘Bhavishaya Purana’ and ‘Narasimha Purana’ and was also explained by Lord Krishna himself, to Yudhishtira, who is the eldest of all Pandavas.

All Sankashti Chaturthi dates in 2023 and Chaturthi Tithi Timing