Festival · Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi
Anant Chaturdashi 2026
On Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi comes Anant Chaturdashi: goodbye to Ganpati Bappa, and the vrat of Anant. Ganpati Bappa Morya, come back soon next year!
Date, tithi and timing
Times are for Pune. The app gives times for your city.
Date by city
The date is the same in every city listed.
Next year, 2027
Quick facts
- Also known asAnant Chaudas, Ganesh Visarjan, Ganesh Chaudas
- WhereMaharashtra (Ganesh visarjan); Nepal, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh (Anant puja); the Jain community
- Puja forAnant (Vishnu as Shesha), and Ganesha
- In one lineThe vrat of Vishnu as Anant, the endless one, and the close of the ten days of Ganeshotsav.
Anant Chaturdashi, in a little more detail
- 01
About the festival
Anant means "without end". Today Vishnu is worshipped in his endless form, and a thread of fourteen knots, the Anant, is tied on the arm.
And today Ganeshotsav ends. The Ganpati who stayed ten days at home or in the pandal is seen off to the beat of dhol and tasha.
Both say the same thing: what comes, goes, but faith is endless. That's why the goodbye comes with an invitation for next year!
- 02
Sushila and Kaundinya
By a river, Sushila saw some women worshipping Anant. She took the vow too, and tied a thread of fourteen knots on her wrist. Soon her home with her husband, the sage Kaundinya, was full of plenty.
One day Kaundinya noticed the thread. This wealth comes from my own work, he said, not from a thread, and he threw it into the fire. After that everything went: the money, the neighbours, and the house burned down.
Sorry now, Kaundinya wandered far looking for Anant. At last Anant met him as an old Brahmin, forgave him, and said: keep this vow for fourteen years. The two of them did, and the good times came back.
- 03
In Maharashtra and beyond
Men tie the Anant thread on the right arm, above the elbow, and women on the left. It comes off after fourteen days.
In Pune the visarjan procession starts with the Kasba Ganpati, and the five manache Ganpatis follow in their fixed order. With dhol-tasha all the way, it goes on for about thirty hours.
In Mumbai, Lalbaugcha Raja goes into the Arabian Sea at Girgaon Chowpatty. Around a lakh and a half murtis are immersed in Mumbai every year.
In Nepal, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, the Anant puja is tied to the Ocean of Milk: fourteen tilaks of kumkum on a wooden plank, with fourteen puris and fourteen puas. For Digambar Jains it is the last day of Daslakshan Parv, and the next day is Kshamavani, the day to ask forgiveness.
How to do the puja
In short: Anant made of darbha, a turmeric thread of fourteen knots, Vishnu's puja, and Ganpati's uttarpuja and visarjan.
- 1If your family keeps the Anant vrat, take the sankalp and fast until the puja.Not every home keeps it: it runs in families, a vow of fourteen years.
- 2Draw a mandal on a patta, and place on it a seven-hooded Shesha made of darbha.Some homes draw the sarvatobhadra mandal.
- 3Lay the fourteen-knot thread, dyed with turmeric, before him.The thread is sold ready-made in the market.
- 4Worship Vishnu as Anant with the sixteen steps: fragrant flowers, a lamp and incense.Vishnu in his endless form, on Shesha.
- 5Offer naivedya, and give a vaan of vade and gharge.The vaan as your family gives it.
- 6After the puja, tie on the Anant: men on the right upper arm, women on the left.It comes off after fourteen days.
- 7For your Ganpati at home, the uttarpuja and the last aarti.Say goodbye, and ask him to come back soon.
- 8Then the visarjan: in a bucket at home, an artificial pond, or where your city allows.In the procession, keep children and elders away from the thickest crowd, carry water, and don't go into deep water.
What you needTick as you go
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Frequently asked questions
Should everyone keep the Anant vrat?
No, it isn't for every home. It begins when someone is advised to take it, or finds an Anant thread, and then it runs in the family.
What do I do with the thread when it comes off?
In many homes it goes into flowing water, or at the foot of a tree.
How do I stay safe at the visarjan procession?
Processions are slow, crowded, loud and hot. Keep children and elders out of the thickest crowd, carry water, and go near the water only where there are lifeguards.
Can I do the visarjan at home today?
Yes. Let the clay murti dissolve in a bucket, and give the water and soil to your plants. Many cities set up artificial ponds too.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.