Anant Chaturdashi is one of the most significant days in the Hindu calendar. The day is important as it is dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu and also marks the conclusion of India’s revered festival, Ganesha Chaturthi. This year, Anant Chaturdashi will be celebrated on September 25, Friday. Devotees worship Lord Vishnu as well as participate in the immersion festivities of Lord Ganesha idols. They seek blessings from both deities for prosperity, happiness, and well-being in their homes.
When Is Anant Chaturdashi 2026?
Anant Chaturdashi 2026 will be celebrated on September 25, 2026, Friday. The day holds a lot of importance for people who worship Lord Vishnu in his Ananta, or infinite, avatar and observe the Anant Chaturdashi vrat. It is observed on the 14th lunar day of Shukla Paksha Bhadrapada.
The Anant Chaturdashi tithi begins on September 24, 2026, at 11:18 PM.
The Anant Chaturdashi tithi ends on September 25, 2026, at 11:06 PM.
The above mentioned timings are as per the local Hindu calendar. People who observe the Anant Chaturdashi puja and vrat must follow the local Panchang and timings for their city.
What Is The Significance of Anant Chaturdashi?
Anant Chaturdashi is a sacred festival dedicated to Lord Vishnu’s Anant Roop or Infinite Avatar. The festival is traditionally associated with the belief in Lord Vishnu’s eternal form and offers divine protection. It reminds us to remain undisturbed by the changing phases of life, be it happiness or sorrow. Devotees worship Lord Vishnu as he rests calmly on his bed of serpents (Sheshnaga), symbolizing tranquility in life.
The day is also important for all Ganesh devotees as it marks the end of Ganesh Chaturthi. On this day, all the Ganesha idols are immersed in water. People perform Anant Puja right before heading for visarjan on this auspicious day. Devotees praise and pray to Lord Ganesha and ask him to come soon next year.
Anant Chaturdashi is also important for the Jain community. This is because the 12th Tirthankar, Lord Vasupujya, who is known as the head of the Jains, attained Nirvana on this day. The community observes Paryushana for 10 days, which culminates on Anant Chaturdashi for the Digambara Jains. They follow a ritual of asking forgiveness for every mistake they have committed in this life.
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Anant Chaturdashi Rituals
On Anant Chaturdashi, wake up early and take a holy bath. Wear clean clothes, preferably yellow, as it is sacred to Lord Vishnu. Clean your house and place a wooden plank or chowkithath covered with a red or yellow cloth.
Now draw 14 small vertical marks on the plank using turmeric. Place 14 pieces of traditional sweets or puris right next to them. Take a sacred silk or cotton thread which is dyed with saffron or turmeric. Make sure this thread has 14 knots, which symbolize the 14 cosmic worlds. Pray to Lord Vishnu, the serpent Sheshna,g and Goddess Yamuna, and invoke them.
Dip the thread in Panchamrit and offer prayers. Now tie this sanctified Anant Sutra on your arm (left arm for women and right arm for men). You can keep this sutra tied for 14 days or for the entire year. Do not miss out on reading or listening to the Ananth Vrat Katha.
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Anant Chaturdashi Vrat
Anant Chaturdashi Vrat is a highly rewarding and rigorous fast that is observed on Anant Chaturdashi. The primary purpose of this fast is to seek relief from financial struggles, invite endless peace with prosperity, and eliminate karmic suffering. This vrat holds immense spiritual and historical significance, as even the Pandavas observed this fast to regain their lost kingdom.
It is believed that once a devotee begins to observe the Anant Chaturdashi Vrat, they must keep it consecutively for 14 years. After a holy bath at dawn, hold some water and rice in your hands and take a sankalp (pledge.
The fasting pattern completely depends on your health and your family tradition. Many devotees tend to observe a single-meal consumption with fruits or milk and keep away salt and grains. The fast is either concluded after the evening puja rituals or the following day.
Story Of Anant Chaturdashi
Long time ago, there lived a Brahmin couple named Sumantu and Diksha. They were blessed with a deeply religious daughter named Sushila. Diksha passed away, and Sumantu remarried a short-tempered woman named Karkasha. Sushila’s stepmother kept mistreating her constantly.
When she grew up, she was married to a proud young sage named Kaundinya. Sushila and Kaundinya decided to leave her father’s house with no wealth or gifts. They stopped to rest at the banks of the Yamuna River, where Sushila noticed a large gathering of women. She approached them and asked about their worship. They explained everything here and also taught her to tie the pious 14-knot thread. She performed the puja with utmost devotion and tied the sacred thread.
With the blessings of Lord Anant, their wealth grew with food and cattle. But soon Kaundinya became arrogant and believed that everything was the result of his intellect and powers. Kaundinya noticed the red string, asked about it,t and then tore the sacred sutra off her arm and threw it.
Within days, they lost all their cattle and wealth, which broke Kaundinya as he realized his mistake. He wandered into deep forests in search of Lord Ananta, who, moved by his repentance, appeared in front of him. Lord Vishnu asked Kaudinya to go back home and observe Anant Chaturdashi vrat for 14 years. This helped them bring back prosperity and happiness into their life.
Also Read: 7 Unique Facts About Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations In Konkan
Note: This list was compiled after verifying current publicly available business information.
Summing Up
Anant Chaturdashi will be observed on September 25, 2026. The festival is not limited to Lord Vishnu’s worship but also extends to the conclusion of Ganesh Chaturthi as well as Digambar Jain’s Paryushan.
