Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Date, history and why it’s celebrated

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Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on August 31 this year
This festival is most popular in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Telangana
It is a 10 days long celebration and the Ganesha idol will be immersed on the day of Anant Chaturdashi

Written By:Trisha

Updated: August 29 2022 07:07:37 PM ET Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

According to the Hindu almanac, Ganesh Chaturthi is observed every year on the Chaturthi tithi of Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month. It is celebrated with great zeal and pomp throughout India, especially in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Telangana.

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Lord Ganesh is believed to be the God of wisdom, prosperity and wealth. Devotees bring home the idols of Lord Ganesha and it is a 10 days long celebration. Ganesh Visarjan marks the last day of the festival and according to popular belief, Lord Ganesha returns to Mount Kailash on that day.

According to Hindu mythology Lord Ganesha has his own significance and it is believed that he was created by Goddesses Parvati with the sandalwood paste. One day Ganesha was ordered by Goddesses Parvati to guard the entrance until she came home after bathing. Lord Shiva was furious seeing Ganesha and had cut his head. Later Lord Shiva gave him an elephant headed structure. Apart from the mythological significance, Ganesh Chaturthi celebration was first initiated in India during the reign of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Later, Bal Gangadhar Tilak reinitiated the festival to unite people and bridge the gap of casteism among them. The first Ganesh Chaturthi celebration happened in 1893 at Girgaum.

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This year Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Wednesday, August 31. The auspicious muhurat for Ganapati Moorti Sthapana is for two hours and 33 minutes starting from 11:05 am to 01:38 pm. The Ganesh Chaturthi tithi starts on August 30 and lasts till the 31st. The auspicious muhurat will begin at 3:33 pm on 30 August and will last till 3:22 pm the next day. Anant Chaturdashi falls on September 9 and it will mark the end of the festival when devotees will immerse the idols of Ganesha in water. There is also a popular belief that devotees should avoid moon sightings during the Ganesh Chaturthi because it can lead to Mithya Dosh in any person.