Sankashti Chaturthi is a sacred festival dedicated to Lord Ganesh, also known as Vighnaharta, meaning the remover of obstacles. It is celebrated fervently by many Hindu devotees, occurring every lunar month on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha, which is the waning phase of the moon.
When this auspicious day coincides with a Tuesday, it is known as Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi and holds exceptional significance among all Sankashti Chaturthi occurrences.
In Hindu mythology, this day is reserved for worshipping Lord Ganesh because Lord Shiva declared His son Ganesh superior to all other gods, except Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, and Parvati. It is believed that on Sankashti Chaturthi, Lord Ganesh descends to Earth to fulfill the wishes of His devotees.
Devotees typically observe a full-day or partial fast from morning until evening and perform the puja (ritual worship) in the evening. They celebrate this sacred occasion with great enthusiasm and devotion, concluding their fast after sighting the Moon God in the evening.
Each Chaturthi, Lord Ganesh is worshipped by a different name according to the lunar month cycle. Vedic scriptures such as the Bavishyat Purana and Narasimha Purana describe the significance and importance of all 13 Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat (including Adhika Masa) that occur in a year.
