Sankashti means deliverance from difficulty. The Sankashti Chaturthi vrat is kept on the fourth day (Chaturthi) after the full Moon, once a month, and is dedicated to Ganesha. When it falls on a Tuesday it is called Angarki Sankashti and is regarded as especially significant. Once a year, in the month of Magha by the purnimanta months, it is the major Sankashti, known in some regions as Sakat Chauth or Lambodara Sankashti.
Timing
Unlike most vrats, this one is decided by the moonrise: the fast is kept on the evening on which Chaturthi is in force at moonrise. The time of moonrise is local, so the date and the breaking of the fast differ by city. The Sankashti Chaturthi page lists the dates and the moonrise times for five cities and links to all 49 city pages, including New Delhi, Toronto and London. Use the any-city tool for other places. We do not give dates here.
Samagri: what to gather
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Picture or idol of Ganesha | The focus of worship |
| Durva grass in sets of 21, red flowers | Offered to Ganesha |
| Modak, laddu, bananas | Naivedya |
| Til (sesame) laddus, in some regions | Offered on the great Sakat Chauth |
| Sandal paste, kumkum, rice, turmeric | Worship |
| Incense, a lamp, camphor | Worship and aarti |
| A vessel with water, a little milk and a flower | The arghya for the Moon |
Steps in order
- On the day, bathe, take the sankalp, and keep the fast as you are able.
- In the evening, bathe again and set up the altar. Light the lamp.
- Worship Ganesha with water, tilak, flowers and durva, chanting his names or a mantra.
- Read or listen to the Sankashti katha.
- Offer the modak and fruit, and sing the Ganesh aarti.
- When the Moon rises, go outside and offer arghya with water, milk and a flower, with a short prayer.
- Break the fast with the prasad and a simple meal.
The katha
The story told most often is of a potter. In a city lived a potter who was preparing to fire his clay pots in a kiln, but the pots would not bake and he was ruined. He asked a priest, who told him to do something odd: to place a small child in the kiln with the pots, as an offering. A poor widow’s only son was chosen. The mother, terrified, prayed to Ganesha through the night and kept the Sankashti vrat.
In the morning, when the kiln was opened, the pots were baked and the child was alive and well, sitting unharmed. The townspeople were amazed. The mother’s faith was honoured, and the vrat spread. The story is told as a tale of a mother’s trust in Ganesha; its details are those of a folk narrative, and tellings vary by region.
Regional variations
Customs differ by region and family; follow your family’s custom. In Maharashtra the vrat is well known and families see the Moon and then eat a meal of vegetarian food. In north India, Sakat Chauth is kept in Magha with sesame sweets. In Tamil Nadu it is called Sankata Hara Chaturthi. In some families the fast is only fruit and water, and in others only one meal.
Fasting and food
Traditionally the fast is from sunrise to moonrise, and many take fruit, milk and sabudana during the day and avoid grains. If you are pregnant, diabetic, unwell, or on medication, please check with a doctor and do not fast if told not to. The worship and the prayer can be done in full without a fast.
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is Angarki Chaturthi?
When Sankashti falls on a Tuesday (Mangalvar, the day of Mars or Angaraka) it is called Angarki. Many devotees consider it the most important of the year.
↳ What if I cannot see the Moon?
Use the calculated moonrise time for your city. If the sky is cloudy, offer the arghya towards the east at that time and break the fast.
↳ How is Sankashti different from Vinayaka Chaturthi?
Sankashti is on the fourth day of the dark half and is ended at moonrise. Vinayaka Chaturthi is on the fourth day of the bright half and is a day for a puja in the daytime.
↳ Why is the Moon worshipped?
The vrat ends with the Moon because of the story that Ganesha cursed and then blessed the Moon. Offering water to the Moon completes the fast in the tradition.