Ganadhipa Sankashti Chaturthi 2026: Date (27 November), Moonrise Fast, Vrat Katha and Puja

Quick answer: Ganadhipa Sankashti 2026 falls on Friday 27 November 2026 in India, per Drik Panchang. It is the Sankashti Chaturthi of the dark fortnight after Kartika Purnima, dedicated to Ganesha in his form as Ganadhipa, the lord of the ganas. Devotees fast during the day, worship Ganesha in the evening and break the fast after moonrise. Moonrise time varies by city, so check Drik Panchang for your location.

This guide has been restored at its original hindutone.com address. The date below is from Drik Panchang for New Delhi. Outside India the date can differ, so check Drik Panchang for your own city.

Ganadhipa Sankashti 2026 date

We do not list muhurat or moonrise clock times. The moon rises at different times in different cities, so a single time would mislead most readers. Look up your own city on Drik Panchang on the day.

What is Sankashti Chaturthi?

Sankashti Chaturthi is the fourth day (Chaturthi) of the waning moon (Krishna Paksha), observed every month in honour of Ganesha. The word Sankashti comes from 'sankata', meaning trouble or difficulty. The day is a prayer for release from obstacles. Ganesha is worshipped as Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles.

Each of the twelve monthly Sankashtis is linked with a different name or form of Ganesha in the traditional lists. The Sankashti after Kartika Purnima is linked with Ganadhipa. When Sankashti falls on a Tuesday it is called Angaraki Sankashti and is considered especially auspicious; in 2026 this one falls on a Friday.

Ganesha as Ganadhipa, lord of the ganas

The ganas are the lively, sometimes wild attendants of Shiva on Mount Kailasa. Ganadhipa, like Ganapati and Ganesha, means their lord and leader. As commonly told, Shiva and Parvati once set a contest between their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya: whoever circled the world first would win. Kartikeya set off at once on his peacock. Ganesha simply walked around his parents with devotion, explaining that for a child, his parents are the whole world. Pleased with his wisdom, Shiva and Parvati blessed him, and in many tellings he was made the leader of the ganas and the one to be worshipped first before every undertaking.

The story teaches that wisdom and devotion can achieve what speed and strength alone cannot. Tellings differ in their details, and some link this story with other occasions.

Sankashti vrat katha as commonly told

Many vrat books give a separate katha for each month's Sankashti, and the stories differ between books and regions. The story most widely linked with the moon on Sankashti is told like this:

Once Ganesha, after enjoying many modakas, was riding his mouse at night. The mouse stumbled and Ganesha fell, and the Moon (Chandra), proud of his own beauty, laughed at him. Ganesha cursed the Moon to lose his glow. The gods pleaded on the Moon's behalf, and the humbled Moon prayed for forgiveness. Ganesha softened the curse, so that the Moon would wane and wax, and declared that worship of Ganesha with sight of the moon on Krishna Chaturthi would bring blessings and remove troubles.

If your family reads a specific Ganadhipa Sankashti katha from its own vrat book, follow that. The heart of every version is the same: humility, devotion to Ganesha, and faith that he removes obstacles. For more on why the moon matters, see our guide to Sankashti Chaturthi moon rules.

How to observe Ganadhipa Sankashti 2026

Customs vary between families. A simple, widely followed method:

1. Wake early, bathe, and take a sankalpa (resolve) to keep the Sankashti fast for Ganesha.
2. Fast during the day in the way your family follows: fully, or with fruit, milk and permitted fasting foods.
3. In the evening, set up a picture or idol of Ganesha. Offer durva grass, red flowers, a lamp, incense and modakas or another sweet.
4. Chant 'Om Gan Ganapataye Namah', the Ganesha Gayatri, or Ganesha's names, and read the vrat katha.
5. After moonrise, look at the moon, offer water (arghya) to the moon with a prayer, and do aarti to Ganesha.
6. Break the fast with the prasad and a simple meal.

Anyone who is unwell, pregnant, elderly or on medication should adapt the fast safely.

Tips for NRI families

• Use your city's moonrise: Check Drik Panchang for your own city. Do not convert India's times.
• Cloudy skies: If clouds hide the moon, many families break the fast at the listed moonrise time after praying in the moon's direction.
• Working day: 27 November 2026 is a Friday. Keep a light fast at work and do the main puja in the evening.
• Durva grass: Indian grocery stores sometimes stock it near festivals; otherwise a few clean blades of lawn grass offered with devotion is a common substitute abroad.
• Temples: Many Ganesha temples abroad hold a Sankashti puja each month. Check your temple's own website.

Frequently asked questions

When is Ganadhipa Sankashti 2026?

Ganadhipa Sankashti Chaturthi 2026 is on Friday 27 November 2026, per Drik Panchang for New Delhi.

What is the moonrise time on Ganadhipa Sankashti 2026?

Moonrise time varies from city to city, so we do not give one here. Check Drik Panchang for your own city on 27 November 2026 and break the fast after you see the moon or at the time given for your location.

What does Ganadhipa mean?

Ganadhipa means 'lord of the ganas'. The ganas are the attendants of Shiva, and Ganesha is their leader. The same idea gives Ganesha his names Ganapati and Ganesha.

Which month is this Sankashti in?

It falls in the dark half (Krishna Paksha) after Kartika Purnima. In the North Indian Purnimanta calendar this is Margashirsha Krishna Chaturthi. In the Amanta calendar used in much of South and West India, the same day is in Kartika Krishna Paksha.

Can I drink water during the Sankashti fast?

Customs vary. Some keep a strict fast until moonrise, while many take water, fruit, milk or permitted fasting foods. Choose what your family follows and what is safe for your health.

Is the date the same outside India?

Not always. Sankashti depends on the Chaturthi tithi at moonrise in your location, so the date abroad can differ. Check Drik Panchang for your city.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. The date is from Drik Panchang for New Delhi. Moonrise time varies by city, so we have not listed one; please check Drik Panchang for your city. The stories are presented as commonly told, and vrat books differ in their kathas. Customs vary between families and regions.

Related guides

• November 2026 Hindu festival calendar
• November 2026 vrat and fasting days
• Sankashti Chaturthi moon rules
• Ganesha Gayatri Mantra
• Why 21 durva grass blades are offered to Ganesha
• Ganesha stories and Puranic legends