Sankashti Chaturthi: History, Meaning, Significance and Celebration

Sankashti Chaturthi is a very auspicious day that is solely dedicated to Lord Ganesha. This day comes in every year’s lunar month, according to the Hindu calendar. Sankashti Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day of the Krishna Paksha, that is when the dark lunar phase or the waning phase is on.

The celebration of Sankashti Chaturthi started back in the 700 BC as a mean for an obstacle removal ritual. This year, Sankashti Chaturthi will be celebrated on July 8, 2020. Read ahead to know-

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Sankashti Chaturthi- History and Significance

It is believed by Hindus that Lord Ganesha blesses all his devotees on Sankashti Chaturthi. It is on this day that Lord Shiva declared his son, Lord Ganesha as the most superior one to all the gods, including Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Parvati, and Lord Shiva. Lord Ganesha is very widely worshipped as the god of prosperity, wisdom, and good fortune and is traditionally prayed to at the start of travel or at the beginning of any new venture.

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On Sankashti Chaturthi, devotees observe a strict fast. The devotees break the fast at night after having looked at the moon that is said to be auspicious on the day. It is then followed with prayers to Lord Ganesha. Devotees observe this fast as they believe their wishes would be fulfilled if they pray on this particular day.

Observing a fast on Sankashti Chaturthi is believed to reduce our problems as Lord Ganesha symbolizes the removal of all the hurdles and obstacles from the lives of the people and is the god of supreme intelligence. Before the full moon appears and the moonlight shines, the Ganapati Atharvasheersha is recited in order to invoke the blessings of Lord Ganesha.  

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During each month of the year, Lord Ganesha is worshipped with different names. On the day of Sakashta Chaturthi of each month, the Sankashta Ganapathi Pooja’s prayer is performed.

Each fast observed by the devotees has a purpose and is explained to the people by a story called the Vratha Katha. This particular prayer offering has a total of 13 Vratha Kathas, one for each month and the 13th story is for adhika, as the Hindu calendar is said to have one extra month in every four years. The uniqueness of this Vratha Kathas is that only the story pertaining to that month alone has to be recited.

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