Ganesh Chaturthi (Chatha)
गणेश चतुर्थी / चथा
September 15, 2026 · Bhadra 30, 2083 BS
Kathmandu Valley (Newar communities)
Plan a trip around Ganesh Chaturthi (Chatha)History & origin
Ganesh's elephant head is explained in the Puranas by a story of Shiva beheading his own son in anger and restoring him to life with an elephant's head; as remover of obstacles, Ganesh is invoked at the start of any undertaking. The Newar 'moon-avoidance' custom traces to a legend in which the moon laughed at Ganesh for falling off his mount, and was cursed so that anyone who looks at it on this night invites false accusation.
How it’s celebrated
Newar households in the Kathmandu Valley avoid looking at the moon on this evening, some staying indoors after dark as a precaution, and worship Ganesh at home or at one of the valley's Char Binayak shrines — long-standing pilgrimage sites at the cardinal points around Kathmandu. Unlike in India, Nepal has no large-scale public idol immersion tradition for this day.
Tips for visitors
A household-level observance rather than a public spectacle in Nepal — the Char Binayak shrines are worth visiting on this day if you're interested in Newar religious geography.
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