Time & skyThe 4th lunar day
Chaturthi
Monthly fast and prayer to Ganesha.
Try it at home
Offer a flower or a sweet to Ganesha and chant Om Gam Ganapataye Namah. Fasting is optional; ask a doctor first if you have a health condition.
Optional, as always. Adapt it to your family, region and health.
The wisdom
Ganesha is worshipped on the fourth lunar day: Vinayaka Chaturthi in the waxing half and Sankashti Chaturthi in the waning half, when many fast until moonrise.
A monthly pause to begin again, with the elephant-headed remover of obstacles as the focus.
What the evidence says
Evidence: LimitedSmall or preliminary studies.Studies of intermittent fasting show some metabolic effects, but there are few trials on this fast itself. Its spiritual meaning is a matter of faith.
How we rate evidenceSignificance
What it means to the people who keep it. Faith-based meaning is described as belief, not as proven fact.
Sankashti means release from trouble. Devotees break the fast after seeing the moon and offering prayers to Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi, the yearly festival, falls in Bhadrapada.