Sankashti Chaturthi Festival in India

Sankashti Chaturthi is an auspicious festival dedicated to Lord Ganesh, who is also known as Vighnaharta (the destroyer of all problems). Most of the Hindu devotees celebrate this day wholeheartedly which falls in every lunar month of the Hindu calendar on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha (dark lunar phase or the waning phase). If this auspicious day falls on a Tuesday then it is called Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi and considered highly important among all Sankashti Chaturthi days.

According to Hindu mythology, it is a reserved day to worship Lord Ganesh because the Supreme Lord Shiva declared His son Ganesh, superior among all the gods with the exception of Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, and Parvati. It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows His presence on earth to fulfil all wishes of His devotees on this day.

The devotees observe a full day or partial fast from morning till evening and perform the puja in the evening. Devotees celebrate this holy day with great zeal and enthusiasm. They conclude the fast after sighting the Moon God in the evening. According to the lunar month cycle, Lord Ganesh is worshiped with a different name on every Chaturthi. Vedic scriptures like the Bavishyat Purana and Narasimha Purana describes the significance and importance of all 13 (including Adhika Masa) Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat that falls in a year. Followings are the names of 13 Sankashti Chaturthi.

1. Chaitra Masa - Vikata Maha Ganapati
2. Vaishakha Masa- Chanakra Raja Ekadanta Ganapathi
3. JeshthaMasa- Krishna Pingala Maha Ganapati
4. Ashadha Masa- Gajaanana Ganapati
5. Shravana Masa- Heramba Maha Ganapati
6. Bhadrapada Masa- Vignaraja Maha Ganapati
7. Ashweeja Masa- Vakrathunda Maha Ganapati
8. Karthika Masa- Ganadipa Maha Ganapati
9. Margashira Masa- Akuratha Maha Ganapati
10. Pushya Masa- Lambodara Maha Ganapati
11. Magha Masa- Dwijapriya Maha Ganapati
12. Phalguna Masa- Balachandra Maha Ganapati
13. Adhika Masa- Vibhuvana Palaka Maha Ganapati

How to Celebrate Sankashti Chaturthi

One should wake up before sunrise on the day of Chaturthi
After taking a bathtub, provide Ganga jal (holy waters) to the Sun reciting Vakra Tunda mantra
Visit a Ganesh temple if viable or worship him at home. The Sanskrit word sankashti means 'liberation from miseries or boundaries' and Lord Ganesha is called vidna-harta, the one who gets rid of barriers. Therefore it's far from a full-size Chaturthi along with Ganesh Chaturti that falls in August-September
One has to speed from dawn to moonrise on Sankashti Chaturthi. One ought to take fruits, roots and vegetables. Also you can have Sabudana Khichadi/vada, peanuts and potatoes
One can put on divine energized products related to Muladhara Chakras ruled through Lord Ganesha such as Eight Mukhi Rudraksha beads, Ganesha Lockets, Ganesh idols or statues, Ganesha Yantras and unique Ganesha Puja

Significance of Sankashti Chaturthi

AgraPujya , Vighnaharta Shri Ganesh is an incarnation of wisdom and virtue. Hence, fasting and praising the supreme deity on this day brings knowledge, health, wealth, and happiness to a devotee.
Shiva Purana mentions that observing a Vrat(fast) on this auspicious day with complete devotion and faith will remove all your obstacles.
As per religious beliefs, in 700 BC, devotees started celebrating this auspicious day with a faith that Lord Ganesh will surely avert bad times from their life and bless them with knowledge and wealth.
The Brahmavaivarat Purana states that Lord Ganesha is the son of supreme Lord Shiva and Parvati as well as a manifestation of the supreme consciousness. By worshipping Him, a person gets blessings in the form of intellect and wisdom and freedom from all obstacles.

Rituals on Sankashti Chaturthi

The devotees who observe Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat, wake up early in the morning and puts on a new or clean clothes after taking a holy bath before sunrise.
Devotees observe a complete fast or partial fast on this day.
The idol of Lord Ganesh is placed in a clean place and decorated with Durva grass, fresh flowers, lamps with ghee, and incense sticks.
Prasad likemodaks and ladoos are offered to Lord Ganesha.
The ritual begins with chanting mantras and reciting the Vrata Katha (stories).
The ritual comes to an end in the evening after completing the puja and aarti of Lord Ganesh.
Fast is concluded with the prasad and some fruits after sighting the moon God are taken in the evening.

Mantra to chant on this day

The following popular mantra invokes blessings of Lord Ganesh. According to Hindu mythology, anybody can chant this mantra at the beginning of a ceremony or ritual to please Lord Ganesh, as He is known as AgraPujya(the first Lord to be worshipped).

Vakra Tunndda Maha Kaaya, Surya Kotti Samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva, Sarva Kaaryessu Sarvadaa

Location based Sankashti Chaturthi Days

It is important to understand that fasting day for Sankashti Chaturthi might differ for two cities even if those cities are within same Indian state. Fasting for Sankashti Chaturthi depends on moonrise and it is observed on the day when there is moonrise while Chaturthi Tithi is prevailing. Hence Sankashti Chaturthi fasting might be observed on Tritiya Tithi i.e. one day before Chaturthi Tithi. As moonrise time is different for all cities it is important to refer Hindu calendar like this website which lists location based Sankashti Chaturthi days. As generating location based dates are time consuming most sources ignore this fact and publish single list for all Indian cities.