Dwijapriya Saṅkaṣṭī is the Māgha form of the monthly Gaṇeśa vrata kept on Kṛṣṇa Caturthī, when Gaṇeśa is worshipped as Dwijapriya. Dwija means 'twice-born' and can refer to the Brahmin, born again at the sacred-thread rite, or to the bird, laid as an egg and born again when it hatches. The name can therefore be read as 'dear to the twice-born' or 'fond of birds', and both readings are current. Like every Saṅkaṣṭī, the fast is kept to remove obstacles and hardship, and it falls about ten days before Mahāśivarātri. How the day is fixed: The vrata falls on the Kṛṣṇa Caturthī of amānta Māgha and is taken on the day that Caturthī prevails at local moonrise. Keep in mind: Pūrṇimānta calendars name the same fortnight Phālguna Kṛṣṇa, so only the month name differs. Moonrise differs with place, so the day can move by one between towns. This year: The 2026 date shown here is worked out from sunrise at the place you chose, so in another city the same day can fall a day earlier or later. The day's fast: Devotees keep a day's fast or take only phalāhāra until the evening worship is done. Evening pūjā and arghya: In the evening Gaṇeśa is worshipped with durvā, red flowers and modaka. Arghya is offered to the risen moon, and only then is food taken. Worth remembering: Some regional pañcāṅgas call this Saṅkaṣṭī Mahodara, and it is the same tithi and vrata. The Mahodara that some lists give to the Mārgaśīrṣa Saṅkaṣṭī is a different day, known as Akhurātha Saṅkaṣṭī. Mahāśivarātri follows on the Kṛṣṇa Caturdaśī of the same fortnight, so the fortnight often begins with a fast for Gaṇeśa and ends with a vigil for Śiva. How strictly the fast is kept, what is offered and which stotra is read differ from one family and region to another. Some households keep every monthly Saṅkaṣṭī, while others keep only a few, and in many places this fortnight is remembered mainly for Mahāśivarātri. The surest way is to keep the vrata as the elders of one's own house have done.
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