Ganesh Chaturthi is the festival of welcoming Lord Ganesha (or Ganpati Bappa or simply Bappa) into one’s home or pandal, and today, it is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the country. While the festival is celebrated all across India as well as abroad, celebrations in Maharashtra are particularly well-known. After all, the festival has its roots in Maharashtra’s history and culture. So, here we are shedding light on Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra.
Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra: Celebration, Significance, Dates, And More
Ganesh Chaturthi Dates 2025
- Ganesh Chaturthi: August 27, 2025
- The festival falls on the Chaturthi (fourth day) of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada
- Ganesh Visarjan after 3 days: August 29, 2025
- Ganesh Visarjan after 5 days: August 31, 2025
- Ganesh Visarjan after 7 days: September 2, 2025
- Anant Chaturdashi/ Visarjan: September 6, 2025
- The festival ends on the Chaturdashi (fourteenth day) of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada.
The festival is celebrated over various durations. Some people observe it for just 1.5 days, while others may celebrate for 3, 5, 7, or even 11 days. Additionally, some celebrations are aligned with the arrival of Gauri idols, a ritual commonly observed in Goa and Maharashtra. To know about the history of Ganesha Chaturthi in Maharashtra, you should read our article on Ganesh Chaturthi 2025: Date, Visarjan, Countdown & History.
How Is Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrated In Maharashtra?
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Maharashtra are of two kinds – the domestic celebrations particular to each household and the more community-focused pandal celebrations. Despite the two kinds, the essence of the festival remains practically unchanged!
Family Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations include the ritualistic installation of Ganesha idols at home. These idols are worshipped each day – families sing praises, practice aartis, and invite friends and family to visit their home to seek His blessings.
Even within Maharashtra, each region has a slightly different way of celebrating the festival – be it in terms of the food prepared or the dialects in which praises are sung. One such celebration that stands out is the one in the Konkan belt of Maharashtra. Villages and towns celebrate the festival by organizing cultural events, such as the folk theater of Dashavtar, depicting the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Men from these rural communities also come together to dance, whereas women participate in the ritualistic worship of Goddess Gauri, which also includes music and dance!
In both households and pandals, Ganesha idols are ritually worshipped with garlands, hibiscus flowers, and the durva grass. Ganesha idols are offered traditional sweets as an offering, particularly the rice-flour dumpling-like modak. This sweet treat is considered to be Lord Ganesha’s favorite food item, which is why it is strongly associated with this festival.
Ganesha Visarjan Ceremony In Maharashtra
On the last day of the festival, Ganesha idols are ritually immersed in water bodies, symbolic of their departure from the material world. This ritual, known as visarjan, is a widely covered event across India as millions of devotees attend these ceremonies or watch them on television. While small, domestic idols are immersed in artificial tanks, lakes, and rivers, large idols are usually immersed in much larger water bodies like the sea or the ocean.
Mumbai’s visarjan ceremonies stand out in particular for the sheer grandeur and scale of the event! Hundreds of prominent idols like Lalbaugcha Raja, Chinchpoklicha Chintamani, Ganesh Gallicha Raja, Andhericha Raja, and many others are immersed in the Arabian Sea on prominent chowpatties like those in Juhu and Girgaon.
Mumbai And Pune: Grandest Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations In Maharashtra
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in all parts of Maharashtra are fun but those in Mumbai and Pune are definitely a notch higher! Thanks to a large number of people celebrating this festival here, and a strong history of the festival’s observance, Mumbai and Pune have emerged as two cities where you could experience some of India’s best Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations – we’re not even exaggerating!
As Maharashtra’s cultural capital and the seat of the Maratha dynasty, Pune has been a hub for experiencing many Hindu festivals, including Ganeshotsav. Pune is home to many renowned Ganesha temples, including the Dagdu Sheth Halwai Temple, the Kasba Peth Ganpati, Sarasbaug Ganpati, and Yeur Chintamani Temple. This makes Pune a must-visit destination if you’re keen on experiencing Ganeshostsav the traditional Maharashtrian way!
On the other hand, the bustling metropolis of Mumbai is a melting pot of diverse cultures – and Mumbaikars collectively celebrate the festival with great joy. Mumbai is home to many renowned temples, such as the Siddhivinayak Temple and the Haridas Naar Ganpati Temple. Additionally, during Ganeshotsav, the city welcomes thousands of large idols in its pandals, with Lalbaugcha Raja being the most famous among them! Devotees visit its pandal from all across the world, and many even stand in waiting queues for 8 to 10 hours!
Other significant pandals in Mumbai are as follows:
- Mumbaicha Raja: Located in Ganesh Galli, Lalbaug
- Khetwadicha Raja: Located in Girgaon
- Andhericha Raja: Located in Andheri
- GSB Ganpati: Located in King’s Circle, Matunga
- Chinchpoklicha Chintamani: Located in Chinchpokli
Significance Of Ganesh Chaturthi In Maharashtra
As the remover of all obstacles, Lord Ganesha is always worshipped before worshipping any other deity in the Hindu pantheon. Ganesh Chaturthi is an important celebration in Maharashtra because of how deeply the festival has its roots in Maharashtrian culture and history.
Most Marathi-speaking people are ardent devotees of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Gauri, Lord Ganesha’s mother. Maharashtra, thanks to its rich cultural heritage, has maintained the stories of Lord Ganesha, and the historical dynasties emerging from this land have only furthered the devotion of the common people towards Lord Ganesha.
The Peshwa Dynasty of the Medieval Era stands out particularly in this case. The dynasty, which even conquered Delhi’s coveted throne, is credited with building and renovating several important Ganesha temples across Maharashtra. Some of these include the holy circuit of eight temples of Lord Ganesha – also known as Ashtavinayak temples!
Today, the festival has emerged as a strong cultural indicator of Maharashtra, celebrated by people of all religions and castes in this state. While the festival is a Hindu festival on paper, it has transcended most religious barriers across India, emerging as a cultural celebration that everyone partakes in regardless of their religious standing.
Summing Up
Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra is not just a festival – it’s a whole different experience! The state, staying rooted in its cultural identity, celebrates the festival with great pomp for 11 days. During these 11 days, the state transforms into a completely new, vibrant place where spiritual energies are at an all-time high and the atmosphere is filled with joy, devotion, and fervor. How excited are you for Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra – or your state?
