Anant Chaturdashi 2027अनंत चतुर्दशी

When is Anant Chaturdashi?

Observed on Shukla Chaturdashi, Bhadrapada month. Dates follow the Panchang for New Delhi and can differ by a day in other places — check the Panchang for your city.

What Anant Chaturdashi means

Anant Chaturdashi, the fourteenth day of the bright half of Bhadrapada, has two faces. It is the day of Anant — Vishnu as the endless one, resting on the serpent Ananta — worshipped with a sacred thread of fourteen knots, the Anant sutra, which is tied on the arm for protection and prosperity. And it is the last day of the ten-day Ganeshotsav, when Ganesha is taken in procession and immersed with cries of "Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya!"

The fourteen knots are often linked with the fourteen worlds (lokas) of Puranic cosmology, all held within the endless Lord. The thread is tied on the right arm by men and the left by women and kept for fourteen days or for the year.

For Digambar Jains the day closes the ten-day Das Lakshan Parva of the ten virtues, followed by Kshamavani, the day of asking and granting forgiveness.

The story of Anant Chaturdashi

The Anant vrat katha, from the Bhavishya Purana tradition, is told by Krishna to Yudhishthira during the Pandavas' exile. A Brahmin girl named Sushila, married to the sage Kaundinya, saw women worshipping Anant by a river and joined them, tying the fourteen-knotted thread on her arm. Prosperity followed. But Kaundinya, thinking it a charm, tore the thread off and threw it into the fire — and soon lost all he had.

Repenting, Kaundinya wandered in search of Anant, asking trees, animals and lakes, until Vishnu appeared to him as an old Brahmin and revealed his four-armed form. Kaundinya was forgiven and kept the vrat for fourteen years. Krishna told the Pandavas that by keeping this vrat they too would regain what they had lost.

Anant Chaturdashi puja vidhi, step by step

The Anant puja at home, and the Ganesh visarjan for families who brought Ganesha home for ten days.

What you need

• A kalash of water, and an image of Vishnu or a coil of kusha grass representing Ananta
• An Anant sutra — a red or yellow thread with fourteen knots, dyed with turmeric
• Flowers, tulsi, sandal, akshat, a diya and incense
• Fourteen kinds of fruit or sweets, puri and kheer
• For visarjan: modaks, flowers, and a tub or artificial pond for eco-friendly immersion

When to do the puja

In 2027 Anant Chaturdashi falls on Tuesday, 14 September. The Anant puja is done in the morning while Chaturdashi prevails; visarjan processions run from afternoon into the night. Check the Panchang for your city. See the Panchang for your city.

Steps

1. Anant puja. Set up the kalash and the image or kusha Ananta; worship Vishnu with flowers, tulsi and fourteen offerings.
2. The thread. Worship the Anant sutra, then tie it on the arm with its mantra — right arm for men, left for women.
3. Katha. Hear the story of Sushila and Kaundinya, and share the prasad.
4. Uttarpuja for Ganesha. If Ganesha is at home, do a final puja and aarti, offer modaks and ask forgiveness for any lapse.
5. Visarjan. Carry Ganesha with music and chanting and immerse him — in a tub at home or an artificial pond where possible — then use the dissolved clay for plants.

Offerings & food: Fourteen kinds of fruit or sweets, puri, kheer, malpua; modaks for Ganesha before visarjan

Mantras for Anant Chaturdashi

Anant Chaturdashi across India

Ganesh visarjan in Mumbai, Pune and across Maharashtra, Hyderabad and Goa; Anant puja in Bihar, UP and Bengal; end of the Digambar Jain Das Lakshan Parva

Mumbai and Pune

The great visarjan processions — Lalbaugcha Raja and the manache Ganpatis of Pune — last through the night to Girgaon Chowpatty and the rivers.

Hyderabad

The Khairatabad Ganesha and thousands of others are immersed in Hussain Sagar.

Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal

Anant puja with the fourteen-knotted thread and the katha, often by the river.

Jain community

Digambar Jains end the Das Lakshan Parva and observe Kshamavani, asking forgiveness of all beings.

Prayers to recite

Do’s and don’ts

Temples to visit for Anant Chaturdashi

Siddhivinayak TempleMumbai, MaharashtraDagdusheth Halwai GanpatiPune, Maharashtra

Frequently asked questions