Ganesh Chaturthi mantra: for sthapana, puja and visarjan
The Ganesh Chaturthi mantras for welcoming Ganpati home, daily puja and visarjan: Vakratunda, Om Gan Ganapataye Namah and the Ganesha Gayatri, with meaning.
The best-known Ganesh Chaturthi mantra is Vakratunda Mahakaya, the verse that asks Ganesha to clear every obstacle, together with the short mantra Om Gan Ganapataye Namah. Families chant them when they welcome Ganpati home (sthapana), at every puja through the festival, and again at visarjan. In 2027, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Saturday 4 September.
Dates are for New Delhi; tithi timings shift slightly by city.
What the festival is
Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day (Chaturthi) of the waxing moon in Bhadrapada, the day Ganesha is said to have been born. Because tradition places his birth at midday, the main puja is done in the Madhyahna, the middle of the day.
Families bring home a murti of Ganesha and keep him as an honoured guest for one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days. The festival ends on Anant Chaturdashi for those who keep all ten days, when he is carried out for visarjan with the cry "Ganpati Bappa Morya". There is no single correct length: keep the number of days your family keeps.
Ganesh Chaturthi mantras
Vakratunda Mahakaya
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ। निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्व कार्येषु सर्वदा॥ Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha, Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva Kaaryeshu Sarvada
"O Lord with the curved trunk and mighty body, shining like a million suns: keep my path free of obstacles in everything I do, always." The most widely chanted Ganesha shloka, traditionally said at the start of any puja or new task. Listen on Mahakatha.
Om Gan Ganapataye Namah
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः Om Gam Ganapataye Namah
"I bow to Ganapati, Lord of all beings," with Gam, his seed sound. Short enough to repeat 108 times on a mala, and traditionally chanted for calm and focus on your goals. It is the mantra most families use for sthapana. Listen on Mahakatha.
Ganesha Gayatri
ॐ एकदन्ताय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि तन्नो दन्ति प्रचोदयात् Om Ekadantaya Vidmahe, Vakratundaya Dhimahi, Tanno Danti Prachodayat
"We know the One with a single tusk, we meditate on the One with the curved trunk: may the tusked Lord light up our minds." Traditionally chanted for positivity and a love of learning, which makes it a good mantra for students. Listen on Mahakatha.
Om Ganaanaam Tva
ॐ गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहे। कविं कवीनां उपमा श्रवस्तमम्। ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पते। आ नः श्रिण्वन्नूतिभिः सीद साधनम्। Om Ganaanaam Tvaa Ganapatim Havaamahe, Kavim Kavinaam Upamashravastamam, Jyeshtharajam Brahmanaam Brahmanaspata, Aa Nah Shrinvannootibhih Seeda Saadanam
"We call on you, Lord of the hosts, wisest of the wise, most glorious, first among kings: hear us and come, take your seat among us." From the Rig Veda (2.23.1), it is the Vedic invitation to Ganapati, and fits the moment of welcoming him home. Listen on Mahakatha.
Om Shree Ganeshaya Namah
ॐ श्री गणेशाय नमः Om Shree Ganeshaya Namah
"O Lord Ganesha, I bow to you." The simplest of all, chanted at the start of the day, a journey or a new book. Traditionally chanted for knowledge and focus. Listen on Mahakatha.
Sukhkarta Dukhharta (aarti, first verse)
सुखकर्ता दुखहर्ता वार्ता विघ्नाची | नुरवी पूर्वी प्रेम कृपा जयाची | सर्वांगी सुंदर उटी शेंदुराची | कंठी झळके माळ मुक्ता फळांची || १ || Sukhakarta Dukhaharta Varta Vighnachi, Nurvi Purvi Prema Krupa Jayachi, Sarvangi Sundara Uti Shendurachi, Kanthi Jhalake Mala Muktaphalanchi
"Giver of joy, remover of sorrow, ender of obstacles, whose love and grace reach everywhere, his body bright with sindoor, a string of pearls shining at his throat." The Marathi aarti sung in homes and pandals across Maharashtra, morning and evening, all through the festival. Listen on Mahakatha.
Sthapana: welcoming Ganpati home
- Prepare the place before he arrives: clean it, set a low platform with a red or yellow cloth, and keep flowers, durva grass, a lamp and modak ready.
- Bring him in with joy. Many families cover his face on the way home and uncover it only once he is seated.
- Invite him. Light the lamp, chant Om Ganaanaam Tva or Vakratunda, and offer water, flowers and kumkum. Then chant Om Gan Ganapataye Namah 108 times, or 21 times if time is short.
- Offer durva and modak. Twenty-one blades of durva and twenty-one modak are traditional. Red flowers, such as hibiscus, are traditionally offered to him.
- Sing the aarti and share the prasad.
Each day after that, offer fresh flowers, chant his mantras and sing the aarti morning and evening. Many families avoid looking at the moon on Chaturthi night, a custom that comes from a Purana story; follow yours.
If a priest performs the prana pratishtha in your home, follow their order: these steps are a simple version for families doing it themselves.
Visarjan: saying goodbye
On the last day, offer a final puja and aarti, and chant Om Gan Ganapataye Namah as he is lifted. Many families ask him to forgive any mistakes in their worship and to come back next year: "Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya" (come again soon next year).
Choose a clay murti and natural colours if you can, and consider immersing him at home in a bucket or tub of water, then returning the dissolved clay to a garden. Rivers and lakes stay cleaner, and the goodbye is just as heartfelt.
Listen through the festival
Mahakatha Radio plays Ganesha mantras like these, day and night, free and without ads. Through the festival, tune in while you prepare the morning puja. For a mantra to begin any new task, see mantras for karya siddhi.
Questions people ask
Which mantra is used for Ganpati sthapana?
Om Gan Ganapataye Namah is the mantra most families chant while seating Ganpati, along with Vakratunda Mahakaya. Om Ganaanaam Tva, from the Rig Veda, is the traditional Vedic invitation if you would like to add it.
What is a five-minute Ganesh stuti?
Chant Vakratunda Mahakaya three times, then the twelve names of Ganesha from Pranamya Shirasa Devam, and close with Om Gan Ganapataye Namah eleven times. It fits easily into five quiet minutes.
What should I write on Ganesh Chaturthi?
Many families write श्री गणेशाय नमः (Shri Ganeshaya Namah) at the top of a new notebook, account book or letter, asking for a good start. For greetings, "Ganpati Bappa Morya" says it all.
What does the Ganesha Gayatri mantra mean?
"We know the One with a single tusk, we meditate on the One with the curved trunk: may the tusked Lord light up our minds." It asks Ganesha for clear understanding.
Which is the most powerful Ganesha mantra?
Om Gan Ganapataye Namah and Vakratunda Mahakaya are the two most widely chanted. The power of a mantra comes from steady, attentive practice, so choose the one you will actually chant every day.
Who should not chant the Gayatri mantra?
Some traditions keep the Vedic Gayatri for those who have been formally initiated, and if your family follows that rule, honour it. The Ganesha Gayatri on this page is widely chanted by anyone, of any age, with respect and a quiet mind.