Bhalachandra Sankashti 2026 — Friday, 6 March 2026

About this day

In Chaitra Ganesha is worshipped as Bhalachandra, “the one who wears the moon on his forehead”, a form that recalls how he forgave the moon.

How Sankashti Chaturthi is kept

• The fast begins at sunrise and ends only after moonrise; the moonrise time for your place is shown in the list.
• During the day many take fruit, milk, sabudana, peanuts or sweet potato, and some keep a nirjala fast. These are customs, and every family has its own way.
• Ganesha is worshipped in the evening with durva grass, red flowers and modak or ladoo, and the Sankashti katha for that month is read.
• When the moon rises, water mixed with a little milk, sandal and rice is offered to it (chandra arghya), and the fast is broken with the prasad and a simple meal.
• On a cloudy night, many break the fast at the moonrise time by offering water towards the moon’s direction, or after the Ganesha puja.
• Those who are pregnant, elderly, diabetic or unwell need not go without food all day; a lighter fast with fruit and milk, or simply the evening prayer, is enough. Ask a doctor if you have a health condition.

Sankashti Chaturthi: the full guide and every date

Questions people ask