Sakat Chauth Puja Vidhi · सकट चौथ पूजा विधि

How Sakat Chauth is kept: the mother's fast for her children, the evening puja of Ganesh with tilkut and til-gud laddus, the katha, and worship of the moon before breaking the fast, as the published guides describe it.

How the puja is done

When

Sakat Chauth falls on Magha Krishna Chaturthi, the Sankashti Chaturthi of Magha, usually in January. It is also called Tilkut Chauth, Til Chauth and Sankat Chauth. See the Sakat Chauth page for the date; moonrise time differs from city to city.

The fast

Mothers keep the fast for the long life and well-being of their children.
Many keep it nirjala, without water, from sunrise until the moon rises.

The evening puja

In the evening, set up an image of Ganesh on a chowki; in Rajasthan and many other homes Sakat Mata is worshipped with him.
Offer roli and akshat, and a bhog of tilkut and laddus of sesame (til) and jaggery (gud).
Hear the Sakat Chauth vrat katha, then do the aarti; Jai Ganesh Deva is widely sung.

Moonrise and parana

When the moon rises, worship it and offer arghya.
Then break the fast.

Customs differ by region and community: follow your family's way where it differs.

These steps are written in our own words; each appears in at least two of the published sources linked below, and steps found in only one source are left out. Puja customs differ by family, region and tradition; your family priest or family custom comes first.

About this text

Sakat Chauth is the Magha Sankashti Chaturthi, a fast to Ganesh, remover of obstacles (sankat), kept especially by mothers for their children. The fast ends with worship of the moon. This page gives the observance as the published guides listed below describe it. Customs differ by region and community: follow your family's way where it differs.