Festival · 2027
Ganesh Jayanti 2027 — Wednesday, 10 February 2027
Ganesh Jayanti, on the fourth day of the bright half of Magha, celebrates the birth of Ganesha with a midday puja, sesame sweets and, in Maharashtra, crowded temples.
In 2026
Thursday, 22 January 2026
- Tithi
- Shukla Chaturthi: 22 Jan, 2:47 AM – 23 Jan, 2:28 AM
- Lunar month
- Magha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 7:13 AM / 5:51 PM
- Madhyahna moment
- 12:32 PM
| Puja muhurat | 11:28 AM – 1:36 PM |
|---|---|
| Madhyahna | 11:28 AM – 1:36 PM |
Rule: Magha Shukla Chaturthi prevailing at madhyahna; if on both days, the first.
In 2027
Wednesday, 10 February 2027
- Tithi
- Shukla Chaturthi: 10 Feb, 2:20 AM – 11 Feb, 3:04 AM
- Lunar month
- Magha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 7:03 AM / 6:07 PM
- Madhyahna moment
- 12:35 PM
| Puja muhurat | 11:29 AM – 1:41 PM |
|---|---|
| Madhyahna | 11:29 AM – 1:41 PM |
Rule: Magha Shukla Chaturthi prevailing at madhyahna; if on both days, the first.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Ganesh Jayanti?
Ganesh Jayanti falls on Magha Shukla Chaturthi, the fourth tithi of the bright half of Magha. In one strand of the tradition, especially strong in Maharashtra and the Konkan, this is the day Ganesha was born, and it is celebrated as his birthday. It is also known as Maghi Ganesh Jayanti, Maghi Chaturthi, Tilkund Chaturthi, Tila Chaturthi and Varad Chaturthi, the Chaturthi of the boon-giver.
Hindu tradition tells the story of Ganesha’s birth in more than one way. In the best-known account, found in the Shiva Purana, Parvati shapes a boy from the turmeric paste she has used for her bath and sets him to guard her door; Shiva, not knowing him, strikes off his head in the struggle that follows, and then restores him to life with the head of an elephant, making him the lord of his ganas. Other texts, including the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana revered by Ganapatya devotees, describe Ganesha taking birth or appearing in different ages for different purposes.
It is because of these differing traditions that Ganesha has two birthdays in the calendar. The great festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, in Bhadrapada, is the one most of India celebrates with installed images and public pandals. Ganesh Jayanti in Magha is quieter and more devotional: it centres on temple worship and a puja at home, without the ten-day festival and immersion of the Bhadrapada celebration.
Sesame is the special offering of the day, which is why it is called Tilkund or Tila Chaturthi. In the cold of Magha, sesame and jaggery are both seasonal and warming, and laddoos made from them are offered to Ganesha and shared as prasad. Some devotees also bathe with water mixed with sesame and keep a fast until the puja, which, because Ganesha is traditionally said to have been born at midday, is performed during madhyahna.
How it is observed
- Bathing in the morning, in some homes with a little sesame in the water.
- Performing the Ganesha puja at madhyahna with durva grass, red flowers and modaks or sesame laddoos.
- Offering tilkut or til-gud laddoos and sharing them as prasad.
- Reciting the Ganapati Atharvashirsha or the Ganesha names and stotras.
- Visiting a Ganesha temple; in Maharashtra, many travel to the Ashtavinayak shrines.
- Keeping a fast until the puja, or eating only simple food for the day, as some devotees do.
How the date is fixed
Ganesh Jayanti is Magha Shukla Chaturthi, the fourth tithi of the bright half of Magha, a name that amanta and purnimanta calendars share. Because Ganesha is traditionally said to have been born at midday, our calendar looks for the day on which the Chaturthi prevails during madhyahna, the middle fifth of the daylight hours. If the Chaturthi covers madhyahna on two days, the first is taken. The date and the madhyahna puja window above are worked out this way for your place.
Where practice differs
Ganesh Jayanti is most widely celebrated in Maharashtra, Goa and the Konkan coast, where Ganesha temples, including the eight Ashtavinayak shrines, see large gatherings, and some households install a small image for a day or a few days. In Karnataka and parts of the south it is kept mainly as a temple observance. In much of north India this Chaturthi passes quietly; the better-known Magha observance there is Sakat Chauth or Tilkuta Chauth, a separate day in the dark half of the month, on which mothers fast for their children and break the fast at moonrise. Neither should be confused with Ganesh Chaturthi in Bhadrapada.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Ganesh Jayanti and Ganesh Chaturthi?
Both celebrate Ganesha’s birth, following different traditions. Ganesh Jayanti is Magha Shukla Chaturthi, a quieter day of temple and home worship; Ganesh Chaturthi is Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi, the large public festival with installed images and immersion.
Why is it called Tilkund Chaturthi?
Because sesame, til, is the special offering of the day. Sesame laddoos are offered to Ganesha and shared, and some devotees bathe with sesame in the water.
What is the puja time on Ganesh Jayanti?
Madhyahna, the middle of the day, since Ganesha is traditionally said to have been born at midday. The madhyahna window for your place is shown above.
Is the Moon avoided on Ganesh Jayanti?
The well-known custom of not looking at the Moon belongs to Ganesh Chaturthi in Bhadrapada. Some families extend it to this Chaturthi as well, but it is not a general part of Ganesh Jayanti.