Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 Around the World: Country-Wise Celebration Guide

Quick answer: Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 falls on Monday, 14 September 2026, and is celebrated by Hindu communities across dozens of countries. The tithi begins at 7:06 AM IST; in the Americas that is the evening of 13 September. Mauritius observes it as a national public holiday.

Ganesh Chaturthi has travelled far beyond India. From the temple towns of Mauritius and the beachfronts of Durban to the mandirs of London, Toronto, Sydney and Singapore, Hindu communities worldwide welcome Lord Ganesha on the same lunar day. This guide maps the 2026 festival across the world — the local dates and timezones, where it is a public holiday, the largest celebrations outside India, and the many ways Ganesha is honoured across cultures.

• Ganesh Chaturthi 2026Monday, 14 September 2026
• Tithi begins (IST)7:06 AM, 14 September 2026
• Madhyahna muhurat (India)11:02 AM – 1:31 PM IST
• Visarjan / Anant ChaturdashiFriday, 25 September 2026
• Public holidayMauritius (gazetted 15 September 2026)
• Also calledVinayaka Chavithi · Vinayagar / Pillayar Chaturthi · Chatha (Nepal)

When is Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 in each country?

Ganesh Chaturthi is fixed by the Hindu lunar calendar in Indian Standard Time: the Chaturthi tithi begins at 7:06 AM IST on 14 September 2026, which is 1:36 AM UTC. That single moment lands on different local clocks around the world. Most countries observe the festival on 14 September local time; in the Americas the tithi begins on the evening of 13 September, so some temples there begin sthapana that evening. The table below shows the local start of the tithi by market.

Muhurat times are commonly observed guidance, not binding deadlines — always confirm with your local temple. For the detailed US-timezone breakdown, see the US date & muhurat guide.

Where is Ganesh Chaturthi a public holiday?

Outside India, Mauritius stands out: Ganesh Chaturthi is a gazetted national public holiday, reflecting that roughly half the island’s population is Hindu. For 2026 the Mauritius government gazette lists the holiday as Tuesday, 15 September 2026. Elsewhere the festival is celebrated devoutly but is a normal working day — 14 September 2026 is a Monday — so many diaspora communities in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, the UAE, Singapore and Germany hold their main public programme on the nearest weekend (often 19–20 September).

The largest Ganesh celebrations outside India

Several celebrations outside India draw enormous crowds and are landmark events in their own right:

• Mauritius — a national public holiday with island-wide processions, led notably by the Marathi Mauritian community.
• Durban, South Africa — the KwaZulu-Natal Hindu community holds one of the largest Ganesha immersion gatherings outside India at the beachfront, coordinated with the municipality.
• BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, Robbinsville, USA — the largest Hindu mandir in the Western Hemisphere, a major diaspora hub.
• Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, Nadi, Fiji — among the largest Hindu temples in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple, Hamm, Germany — one of the largest Hindu temples in continental Europe, built by the Sri Lankan Tamil community.
• Fête de Ganesh, Paris — a major street procession in the 18th arrondissement led by the Sri Manicka Vinayagar temple (its date is set separately from the tithi).
• Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple, Singapore — the flagship Ganesha temple, where the festival is known as Vinayagar Chaturthi.

These are named as widely-documented examples; always confirm each temple’s 2026 schedule on its own official website before travelling.

How Ganeshotsav adapts across the world

The devotion is constant, but the celebration adapts to local life, law and climate:

• Eco-immersion: where rivers, lakes and the sea are protected by environmental law, temples immerse murtis in on-site tanks and recycle the clay — standard practice in the USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Canada and Singapore.
• Weekend-shifted utsav: because 14 September is a Monday, many diaspora communities run the big public programme on the following weekend.
• Southern-hemisphere spring: in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Fiji, September is spring — a genuine factor for outdoor events and immersions.
• Permit regimes: public processions and water immersion are permitted, restricted or organised through licensed venues differently in each country; communities observe local rules.
• Regional styles: Tamil Saivite (Vinayagar/Pillayar Chaturthi with kozhukattai) leads in Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and much of the temple world, while Marathi, Gujarati and Bhojpuri-Sanatan traditions lead elsewhere — often side by side in one temple.

Ganesha beyond the Hindu diaspora

Ganesha is honoured well beyond Hindu communities, a testament to how far his image has travelled along trade and pilgrimage routes:

• Thailand: Ganesha, known as Phra Phikanet, is venerated widely by Thai Buddhists as the deity of arts, commerce and success; he is the emblem of Thailand’s Department of Fine Arts, and giant shrines such as the reclining pink Ganesha at Wat Saman Rattanaram draw mass footfall.
• East Asia: Ganesha entered Buddhist practice as Kangiten (Shoden) in Japan and Vinayaka in Chinese Buddhism, appearing in temple art across the region.
• Cambodia and Indonesia: Khmer and Javanese sculptors carved Ganesha for over a millennium; the classical Javanese Ganesha of Bara is famous, and Ganesha has featured in Indonesian cultural iconography, including on a past 20,000-rupiah banknote design.
• Nepal: the Kathmandu Valley honours Ganesha at the ancient Char Binayak shrines, an indigenous tradition distinct from the Indian pandal model.

Celebrating where there is no temple

In countries with a small Hindu community, families celebrate at home. A simple sthapana, a clay murti, daily aarti and a heartfelt visarjan in a home tub carry the full festival anywhere in the world. See our guides to home sthapana and puja vidhi, the Sukhkarta Dukhharta aarti, eco-friendly clay murtis and Anant Chaturdashi. Many temples worldwide also stream live darshan for those observing from home.

For the country with the deepest diaspora coverage, see our Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 USA guide, and for immersion practice and rules, the Ganesh visarjan 2026 guide. Ganpati Bappa Morya!

Frequently Asked Questions

What date is Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 worldwide?

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 falls on Monday, 14 September 2026, fixed by Indian Standard Time. Most countries observe it on 14 September local time, while in the Americas the tithi begins the evening of 13 September.

Which country has a public holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi?

Mauritius observes Ganesh Chaturthi as a gazetted national public holiday. For 2026, the Mauritius government gazette lists it as Tuesday, 15 September 2026. In most other countries it is a normal working day.

Where is the largest Ganesh Chaturthi celebration outside India?

Mauritius (a national holiday) and the Durban beachfront immersion in South Africa are among the largest. Major diaspora hubs include BAPS Akshardham Robbinsville (USA), Nadi (Fiji), Hamm (Germany) and the Paris Fête de Ganesh.

Why does the date shift to 13 September in the Americas?

The Chaturthi tithi begins at 7:06 AM IST (1:36 AM UTC), which is the evening of 13 September in US, Canadian and Caribbean time zones, so some temples there begin sthapana on 13 September evening.

What is Ganesh Chaturthi called in different countries?

It is Vinayaka Chavithi in Telugu regions, Vinayagar or Pillayar Chaturthi in Tamil communities (Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka), Chatha in Nepal, and Phra Phikanet worship in Thailand.

How is immersion done where water bodies are protected?

In countries with strict environmental law, temples use on-site eco-immersion tanks and recycle the clay, and families immerse clay murtis at home in a tub, rather than using natural rivers, lakes or the sea.

Do non-Hindus celebrate Ganesha anywhere?

Yes. In Thailand, Ganesha (Phra Phikanet) is widely venerated by Thai Buddhists, and Ganesha appears in Japanese and Chinese Buddhist traditions as Kangiten and Vinayaka, and across Khmer and Javanese heritage art.

How can I celebrate if there is no temple in my country?

Perform a simple home sthapana with a clay murti, offer daily aarti and modak, watch a temple’s live darshan online, and do a respectful home visarjan in a tub — a complete celebration anywhere in the world.