Sankashti Chaturthi or Sankatahara Chaturthi is a festival devoted to the benign Elephant God or Lord Ganesha. On this day, devotees worship Lord Ganesha to overcome their hurdles in life and to come out as an achiever in difficult times. This Hindu festival is observed every month on the “Chaturthi” (Fourth Day) of the Krishna Paksha (the waning phase of moon). It is also known by the name of “Sankat Hara Chaturthi” in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The most promising and auspicious Sankashti Chaturthi is known as the Angaraki Chaturthi, which falls on a Tuesday.
A lunar month in the Hindu Panchang shows two Chaturthi Tithis (Dates). ‘Sankashti Chaturthi’ falls after Puranmasi or on the full moon day during the Krishna Paksha, while the ‘Vinayaka Chaturthi’ falls after Amavasya or on the new moon day during the Shukla Paksha. Sankashti Chaturthi is celebrated in the Northern as well as the Southern states of India. The word “Sankashti” comes from Sanskrit and implies “freedom from difficult times”.