Ten days for the elephant-headed son of Śiva and Pārvatī — the one who won a race around the world without leaving the room.
When it falls
4 September 2027 23 August 2028 11 September 2029
Children take to Gaṇeśa faster than to any other figure in these books. He is clever rather than mighty, and he loses arguments gracefully.
Why it has more than one name
Vināyaka Caturthī in Tamil Nadu, Piḷḷaiyār Caturthī in many Tamil households, Gaṇeśa Caturthī across much of the country, and Gaṇeśotsava in Maharashtra, where the ten-day public form began in the 1890s. All of them are the same day: the fourth tithi of the bright half of Bhādrapada. If you grew up calling it one thing and your neighbours called it another, you were both right.
4 September 2027, 23 August 2028 and 11 September 2029. These are computed from the pañcāṅga rather than copied from a list, so they hold for the years shown.
Why do some people call it Vinayaka Chaturthi and others Ganesh Chaturthi?
They are the same festival. Vināyaka and Piḷḷaiyār are the names used in Tamil Nadu; Gaṇeśa is the more widely used Sanskrit name; Gaṇeśotsava refers to the ten-day public celebration that began in Maharashtra. The day itself — the fourth tithi of śukla pakṣa in Bhādrapada — does not change.
What story should I read my child on Ganesh Chaturthi?
The race for the mango, in which Gaṇeśa wins without leaving the room. It runs about three minutes read aloud, suits ages four and up, and ends by asking the child whether he won fairly — which is usually a better conversation than the story.
Who is the elder brother, Ganesha or Kartikeya?
It depends on the telling, and this is a real difference rather than a confusion. Northern tellings generally make Kārttikeya the elder; Tamil tradition makes Gaṇeśa the elder, which is part of why Vināyaka is worshipped first. We tell the Tamil shape and list the differences rather than smoothing them over.
Sandhya Katha chooses one story each night against the pañcāṅga, for your child's age, and lays it out to be read aloud. Free, nothing to install.