Winter · 6 January 2026
Sakat Chauth
सङ्कटचतुर्थी · Ganesha’s vow that lifts distress
Festival details
6 January 2026
Pausha Krishna Chaturthi · Sakat Chauth
1 day
About
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Sakat Chauth is a Ganesha vrat where devotees eat only after sighting the moon and pray for relief from hardship.
Origin
The vow draws on the Ganesha Purana and folk custom. Chaturthi is dear to Ganesha, and this Krishna-paksha fourth is kept especially for removing obstacles.
Why it is celebrated
Families seek freedom from distress, illness, and obstacles; mothers keep the vow for their children’s protection.
The katha
A tale tells of a poor woman who kept Ganesha’s vow in distress, offered water to the moon, and saw wellbeing return to her home.
Stories & episodes
Many homes read the vrat katha with sesame-jaggery prasad and Ganesha aarti.
Rituals & customs
Fast without water or on fruit, Ganesha puja, moon offering, sesame laddoos.
Where it is celebrated
North India, especially Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.