Overview

• Festival-day explainers recount that seeing the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi is considered inauspicious according to long-held religious belief.
• The legend says Lord Ganesha cursed the moon after it laughed at him, leading to the risk of ‘mithya dosha’ or false accusation for those who view it that night.
• Accounts note that Ganesha later softened the curse so the moon would wax and wane rather than vanish entirely.
• Traditional remedies cited for accidental moon viewing include reciting Ganesha stories such as the Syamantaka tale, chanting Ganesh mantras, offering modaks, and a specific mantra shared by Republic World.
• Coverage notes that many devotees still follow the practice even as some question it, with occasional astrological interpretations pointing to lunar influence on behavior.