A Ganesh Chaturthi invitation tells guests that Ganpati is coming home, how many days he'll stay, the aarti timings for darshan, and the date and time of the visarjan. For a society or sarvajanik mandal, add the pandal location, the cultural programme and the visarjan route. The tone is joyful and devotional at once, and a simple “Ganpati Bappa Morya” at the top says most of it.
How long Ganpati stays
Families keep Ganpati for different lengths of time, following their own tradition: one and a half days, three, five, seven, or the full ten days until Anant Chaturdashi. The invitation should say which, because guests plan their darshan around it.
| Duration | Common in | What to put on the invitation |
|---|---|---|
| 1½ days | Many homes | Darshan on the first evening and the next morning; visarjan the next afternoon |
| 3 or 5 days | Many homes | Daily aarti times and the visarjan day |
| 7 days | Some families | Aarti times and any special evenings |
| 10 days | Societies, mandals and some homes | The daily programme and the visarjan procession |
What to include
- “Ganpati Bappa Morya” or another greeting at the top.
- The family's name, or the society or mandal's name.
- The days Ganpati will be home.
- Morning and evening aarti times, which is when most guests come.
- The address, with the floor and a landmark for a flat.
- The visarjan date, time and place, if guests are invited to join.
- Prasad or a meal, if you're serving one on a particular day.
English wording
The names, dates and places below are examples.
Ganpati Bappa Morya
Ganpati is coming home, and we'd love you to visit.
Darshan for five days
Aarti: 8 am and 8 pm daily
Visarjan: on the fifth day, 5 pm
The Deshpande family
B-1102, Vrindavan Heights, Kothrud, Pune
Shri Ganeshotsav
Green Park Residents' Association
Ten days of darshan, aarti and celebration
Evening aarti at 8 pm, followed by the cultural programme
Children's drawing competition on the fourth day
Visarjan procession on Anant Chaturdashi, 4 pm from the society gate
Marathi wording
In Maharashtra, Ganeshotsav invitations are most often in Marathi.
॥ गणपती बाप्पा मोरया ॥
आमच्या घरी श्री गणेशाचे आगमन होत आहे.
दर्शनासाठी आपण सहकुटुंब अवश्य यावे.
आरती: सकाळी ८ वा. व रात्री ८ वा.
विसर्जन: पाचव्या दिवशी, सायं. ५ वा.
देशपांडे परिवार
Hindi wording
॥ गणपति बप्पा मोरया ॥
हमारे घर श्री गणेश जी पधार रहे हैं।
दर्शन और आरती के लिए आप सपरिवार आमंत्रित हैं।
आरती: प्रातः 8 बजे और रात्रि 8 बजे
विसर्जन: पाँचवें दिन, सायं 5 बजे
Gujarati wording
॥ ગણપતિ બાપ્પા મોરયા ॥
અમારે ઘરે શ્રી ગણેશજી પધારી રહ્યા છે.
દર્શન અને આરતી માટે આપ સહપરિવાર પધારશોજી.
આરતી: સવારે 8 અને રાત્રે 8 વાગ્યે
વિસર્જન: પાંચમા દિવસે, સાંજે 5 વાગ્યે
Inviting guests to the visarjan
Many families send a short separate message for the visarjan, since it's a moment people want to be there for: the last aarti, the procession, and “Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya”, come back soon next year.
Bappa's visarjan is tomorrow. Last aarti at 4:30 pm at home, and we leave for the society tank at 5. Do join us.
Eco-friendly Ganpati
Many families now choose a clay idol, often of shadu mati, which dissolves naturally, instead of plaster of Paris, and immerse it at home in a bucket or tank, or in an artificial pond set up by the municipality. If yours does, you can say so on the invitation; it often encourages others.
- A clay idol, painted with natural colours.
- Decorations of flowers, leaves and paper rather than thermocol and plastic.
- Home visarjan in a tub, with the water and clay used for plants afterwards.
- Prasad in steel or leaf plates.
Local rules
Many cities set rules for visarjan locations, timings and loudspeakers during Ganeshotsav. Check the local rules before printing a procession route or time.
Practical notes for hosts
- Keep the aarti times consistent every day, so guests can plan.
- Have a place for shoes outside, and a small table for guests' offerings.
- Keep modak or another prasad ready at every aarti; guests expect it.
- For a flat, tell the society about the extra visitors, especially on the last day.
A daily nudge
Send a short message on the morning of each day with the aarti times and any special event. Guests who meant to visit on “one of the days” often come because of it.
The garba night guide and the Diwali party guide cover the festivals that follow, and you can describe a Ganpati invitation to ShubhLink AI as the AI invitation maker guide shows. More festival guides are under festivals.
Questions people ask
What should a Ganesh Chaturthi invitation include?
How many days Ganpati will be home, the morning and evening aarti times, the address, and the visarjan date and time.
How many days do families keep Ganpati?
It varies by tradition: one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days. The invitation should say which so guests can plan their visit.
What is written at the top of a Ganpati invitation?
Usually “Ganpati Bappa Morya” or ॥ गणपती बाप्पा मोरया ॥ in Marathi, or a line of welcome to Ganesh.
Is a clay Ganpati idol better for the environment?
Yes. Clay idols, especially of shadu mati, dissolve naturally, and many families immerse them at home in a tub or tank.
Filed under Festivals
Written by ShubhLink Editorial Team
The team behind ShubhLink's invitation templates and ShubhLink AI. We write down what families ask us most, and check each guide before it goes live.