Ganpati invitation message for WhatsApp: 50+ templates in Marathi, Hindi and English

Two years ago I sent one message on sthapana morning. A photo of the mandap, "Bappa is home, do come for darshan," to about forty people across four WhatsApp groups. I felt organised.

By evening I had thirty-one replies. Twenty-two were folded-hands emojis. Six said "definitely coming." Three asked which day. Not one told me when they were coming or how many they were. My mother-in-law asked how much sheera to make and I could not answer her. We cooked for sixty; eleven people came that night. On day three, forty-two arrived inside one ninety-minute window and we were out of everything by the second aarti.

The message wasn't rude or unclear. It just wasn't built to be answered.

So below are the messages I actually send now — sorted by the moment you're sending them for, in Marathi, Hindi and English. Copy any of them, change the brackets, send. Every one of them ends in a question a person can answer with a number, because that is the difference between an invitation and a guest list.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 falls on Monday, 14 September, with Anant Chaturdashi on 23 September.

Pick your moment

Your Ganpati invite is not one message. Across ten days it is six or seven, going to overlapping groups, each asking for something different. Send them all as one message on day one and you get the emoji flood.

#	Moment	Goes to	When to send	What you're really asking
1	Sthapana / aagman	Immediate family	4–7 days before	Are you here for the morning?
2	Darshan window	Neighbours, colleagues, wider family	2–3 days before	Which evening, and how many
3	Daily aarti	Building and society circle	Once, at the start	Nothing — a standing open door
4	Mahaprasad / jevan	The list you're actually cooking for	3–4 days before	Confirmed headcount and food preferences
5	Gauri	The women's side of both families	2–3 days before	How many for haldi-kunku
6	Visarjan	Whoever is joining the immersion	2 days before	Are you walking with us, and from where
7	Society Ganpati	The whole building	A week before	Family count, for catering

Row 2 and row 4 are the ones that ruin people. If you haven't separated "come see Bappa whenever" from "sit down and eat with us on Thursday", you will cook for the first list and be ambushed by the second.

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1. Sthapana / aagman invitation

For immediate family and the people who will be in the house that morning.

English

Bappa is coming home this year. Sthapana on Monday, 14 September — morning puja around [8 am], first aarti at [7 pm]. He's with us for [five] days, visarjan on [19 September].

Please be here for the morning itself. Tell me how many of you are coming and whether you're staying for the evening aarti, so I can plan the prasad. [address link]

Our Ganpati arrives on [14 September]. Pran pratishtha at [8.30 am], aarti in the evening at [7]. We'd really like you there when the murti comes in. How many from your side, and are you coming in the morning or the evening?

Bappa is home from [14th] to [19th] September. First aarti is on the 14th at [7 pm] and that's the one we'd love you at. Let me know your number so we keep prasad aside.

हिंदी

इस बार बाप्पा हमारे घर पधार रहे हैं। सोमवार, 14 सितंबर को सुबह [8 बजे] स्थापना और शाम [7 बजे] पहली आरती। बाप्पा [पाँच] दिन रहेंगे, विसर्जन [19 सितंबर] को।

सुबह की पूजा में आप ज़रूर आइए। कितने लोग आ रहे हैं और शाम की आरती तक रुकेंगे या नहीं, यह बता दीजिए — प्रसाद की तैयारी उसी हिसाब से कर लेंगे। [पता लिंक]

[14 सितंबर] को हमारे घर श्री गणेश जी की स्थापना है। प्राण प्रतिष्ठा सुबह [8.30] बजे, आरती शाम [7] बजे। मूर्ति के आगमन के समय आप सब साथ हों, यही चाहते हैं। आपकी तरफ़ से कितने लोग आ रहे हैं, और सुबह आएँगे या शाम को?

बाप्पा [14] से [19] सितंबर तक घर पर हैं। पहली आरती 14 को शाम [7 बजे] — उसी में आपका आना सबसे अच्छा लगेगा। बस संख्या बता दीजिए, प्रसाद उसी हिसाब से रख लेंगे।

मराठी

यंदा बाप्पा आमच्या घरी येत आहेत. सोमवार, १४ सप्टेंबर रोजी सकाळी [८ वाजता] स्थापना आणि संध्याकाळी [७ वाजता] पहिली आरती. बाप्पा [पाच] दिवस मुक्कामी आहेत, विसर्जन [१९ सप्टेंबर] रोजी.

सकाळच्या पूजेला नक्की या. किती जण याल आणि संध्याकाळच्या आरतीपर्यंत थांबणार का, ते कळवा — म्हणजे प्रसादाची तयारी करता येईल. [पत्ता लिंक]

[१४ सप्टेंबर] रोजी आमच्याकडे श्रींची स्थापना आहे. प्राणप्रतिष्ठा सकाळी [८.३०] वाजता, आरती संध्याकाळी [७] वाजता. मूर्ती घरात येते तेव्हा तुम्ही सोबत असावं असं वाटतं. तुमच्याकडून किती जण येणार, आणि सकाळी की संध्याकाळी?

बाप्पा [१४] ते [१९] सप्टेंबर आमच्या घरी आहेत. पहिली आरती १४ तारखेला संध्याकाळी [७] वाजता — त्याच आरतीला तुम्ही असावं. किती जण याल एवढं कळवा, तेवढा प्रसाद बाजूला ठेवतो.

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2. Darshan invitation

For neighbours, colleagues, extended family and friends. This is the one that saves your evenings — notice that it offers days instead of accepting everyone at once.

English

Ganpati is at our place from [14] to [19] September. Aarti every evening at [7 pm], darshan open [6–9 pm].

If you're planning to come, [Tuesday] and [Wednesday] evenings are the quieter ones — you'll get a proper darshan rather than a crowd. Tell me which evening and how many of you, so there's prasad ready when you reach. [address link]

Bappa is home till [19th]. You're welcome any evening between [6 and 9] — just message me the day you're coming so we don't have everyone landing together.

Do come for darshan this week. We're at [address], aarti at [7 pm] daily. Which evening suits you, and how many are you? Prasad ke liye ginti chahiye, that's all.

हिंदी

[14] से [19] सितंबर तक बाप्पा हमारे घर पर हैं। रोज़ शाम [7 बजे] आरती, और [6 से 9 बजे] तक दर्शन खुला रहेगा।

आने का सोच रहे हों तो [मंगलवार] और [बुधवार] की शाम अपेक्षाकृत शांत रहती है — भीड़ के बिना ठीक से दर्शन हो जाएगा। बस बता दीजिए कौन-सी शाम और कितने लोग, ताकि आपके पहुँचने तक प्रसाद तैयार रहे। [पता लिंक]

बाप्पा [19] तारीख तक घर पर हैं। शाम [6 से 9] के बीच कभी भी आइए — बस कौन-से दिन आ रहे हैं यह बता दीजिए, ताकि सब एक ही शाम इकट्ठा न हो जाएँ।

मराठी

[१४] ते [१९] सप्टेंबर या काळात बाप्पा आमच्या घरी आहेत. रोज संध्याकाळी [७ वाजता] आरती, आणि [६ ते ९] दर्शनासाठी घर उघडं आहे.

यायचं ठरवत असाल तर [मंगळवार] आणि [बुधवार]ची संध्याकाळ तुलनेने शांत असते — गर्दीशिवाय नीट दर्शन होईल. कोणती संध्याकाळ आणि किती जण, एवढं कळवा — तुम्ही पोहोचेपर्यंत प्रसाद तयार ठेवतो. [पत्ता लिंक]

बाप्पा [१९] तारखेपर्यंत घरी आहेत. संध्याकाळी [६ ते ९] दरम्यान कधीही या — फक्त कोणत्या दिवशी येणार ते कळवा, म्हणजे सगळे एकाच संध्याकाळी येणार नाहीत.

दर्शनाला नक्की या. पत्ता [address], रोज आरती [७] वाजता. कोणती संध्याकाळ जमेल आणि किती जण याल? प्रसादासाठी आकडा हवा, एवढंच.

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3. Aarti invitation

For the building and society circle. This one is a standing open door, so it goes out once.

English

Aarti at ours every evening at [7 pm] till [19th]. Anyone from the building is welcome — no need to inform, just come. If you're bringing family from outside the building, a heads-up helps with the prasad count.

Evening aarti at [7], daily, [flat number]. Ten minutes, that's all. Do walk in.

हिंदी

[19] तारीख तक रोज़ शाम [7 बजे] आरती है। बिल्डिंग का कोई भी आ सकता है — बताने की ज़रूरत नहीं, बस आ जाइए। बाहर से परिवार ला रहे हों तो बता दीजिएगा, प्रसाद की गिनती में आसानी रहेगी।

रोज़ शाम [7 बजे] आरती, [फ्लैट नंबर]। दस मिनट का काम है। ज़रूर आइए।

मराठी

[१९] तारखेपर्यंत रोज संध्याकाळी [७ वाजता] आरती आहे. बिल्डिंगमधलं कुणीही यावं — कळवायची गरज नाही, सरळ या. बाहेरून कुटुंब आणणार असाल तर तेवढं कळवा, प्रसादाच्या हिशोबाला बरं पडतं.

रोज संध्याकाळी [७] वाजता आरती, [फ्लॅट नंबर]. दहा मिनिटांचं काम. नक्की या.

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4. Mahaprasad and jevan invitation

Send this separately, and to fewer people. A darshan count and a sit-down count are not the same list, and cooking against the wrong one is the single most common Ganpati hosting mistake.

English

We're doing mahaprasad at home on [day], [date], serving from [12.30 pm].

This one I need an actual number for — please tell me how many are coming from your side by [date], and let me know if anyone is on upvaas, Jain or pure veg so I can keep something aside properly.

Jevan at ours on [date], [12.30] onwards. Sit-down lunch, so I'm cooking to a count. How many from your family? And any food restrictions I should know about?

हिंदी

[दिन], [तारीख] को घर पर महाप्रसाद है, [12.30 बजे] से।

इसके लिए मुझे पक्की संख्या चाहिए — [तारीख] तक बता दीजिए आपकी तरफ़ से कितने लोग आ रहे हैं। और अगर किसी का उपवास है, या जैन/शुद्ध शाकाहारी हैं, तो वह भी बता दीजिए — उनके लिए अलग से रख लूँगा।

[तारीख] को घर पर भोजन है, [12.30] से। बैठकर खाने वाला कार्यक्रम है, इसलिए गिनती के हिसाब से बन रहा है। आपके परिवार से कितने लोग? और खाने में कोई परहेज़ हो तो बता दीजिए।

मराठी

[दिवस], [तारीख] रोजी घरी महाप्रसाद आहे, [१२.३०] पासून.

याच्यासाठी मात्र नेमका आकडा हवा — [तारीख]पर्यंत तुमच्याकडून किती जण येणार ते कळवा. कुणाचा उपवास असेल, किंवा जैन/शुद्ध शाकाहारी असेल, तर तेही सांगा — त्यांच्यासाठी वेगळं काढून ठेवतो.

[तारीख] रोजी आमच्याकडे जेवण आहे, [१२.३०] पासून. बसून जेवायचा कार्यक्रम आहे, त्यामुळे आकडा धरूनच स्वयंपाक होतोय. तुमच्या घरून किती जण? आणि जेवणात काही पथ्य असेल तर सांगा.

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5. Gauri invitation

Gauri aavahan and pujan dates shift by panchang, so confirm yours before you put a date in writing.

English

Gauri is coming to ours this year. Aavahan on [date] and pujan on [date], with lunch on pujan day from [12.30]. If the ladies from your side are coming for haldi-kunku, tell me roughly how many so we can set the room up properly.

हिंदी

इस बार हमारे घर गौरी आ रही हैं। आवाहन [तारीख] को और पूजन [तारीख] को, पूजन वाले दिन [12.30] से भोजन। आपके यहाँ से बहनें हल्दी-कुंकू के लिए आ रही हों तो अंदाज़न संख्या बता दीजिए, बैठक उसी हिसाब से लगा लेंगे।

मराठी

यंदा आमच्याकडे गौराई येत आहे. आवाहन [तारीख] रोजी आणि पूजन [तारीख] रोजी, पूजनाच्या दिवशी [१२.३०] पासून जेवण. तुमच्याकडच्या बायका हळदी-कुंकवाला येणार असतील तर साधारण किती जण ते कळवा, त्याप्रमाणे बैठकीची तयारी करतो.

गौरी पूजनाच्या हळदी-कुंकवासाठी [तारीख] रोजी संध्याकाळी [५ ते ८] या. सहकुटुंब या. किती जण याल ते आधी कळवलंत तर ओटीची तयारी नीट करता येईल.

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6. Visarjan invitation

English

Visarjan is on [date]. We're leaving from home at [4 pm] and walking to [immersion point]. If you want to walk with us, be at ours by [3.45]. If you'd rather join at the ghat, tell me and I'll message when we start moving.

Bappa goes home on [date]. Final aarti at [3 pm], then the procession. Are you walking with us? Just so I know who to wait for.

हिंदी

विसर्जन [तारीख] को है। घर से [4 बजे] निकलेंगे, [विसर्जन स्थल] तक पैदल। साथ चलना हो तो [3.45] तक घर पहुँच जाइए। सीधे घाट पर मिलना हो तो बता दीजिए, निकलते वक़्त मैसेज कर दूँगा।

[तारीख] को बाप्पा को विदा कर रहे हैं। आख़िरी आरती [3 बजे], उसके बाद मिरवणूक। आप साथ चल रहे हैं? बस इतना बता दीजिए कि किसका इंतज़ार करना है।

मराठी

विसर्जन [तारीख] रोजी आहे. घरून [४ वाजता] निघतोय, [विसर्जन स्थळ]पर्यंत चालत. सोबत यायचं असेल तर [३.४५]पर्यंत घरी या. थेट घाटावर भेटायचं असेल तर कळवा, निघताना मेसेज करतो.

[तारीख] रोजी बाप्पाला निरोप. शेवटची आरती [३] वाजता, नंतर मिरवणूक. तुम्ही सोबत येताय ना? कुणाची वाट बघायची एवढं कळावं म्हणून विचारतोय.

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7. Society Ganpati invitation (formal)

For building notice-boards and society groups, where the register is more formal and there is no single host cooking.

English

[Society name] Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav [year] Sthapana: [14 September], [time] · Daily aarti: [morning time] and [evening time] · Visarjan: [date], assembly at [time] Mahaprasad on [date] from [12.30 pm] — residents are requested to confirm attendance and number of members with [name / flat no.] by [date], for catering. All residents and their families are warmly invited.

Ganeshotsav [year] — [building name] Bappa arrives [date]. Cultural programme on [date] at [time], mahaprasad on [date]. Please share your family count with your wing representative by [date].

हिंदी

[सोसाइटी का नाम] सार्वजनिक गणेशोत्सव [वर्ष] स्थापना: [14 सितंबर], [समय] · रोज़ आरती: [सुबह] और [शाम] · विसर्जन: [तारीख], एकत्र [समय] पर [तारीख] को महाप्रसाद, [12.30] से। कृपया अपने परिवार के सदस्यों की संख्या [नाम / फ्लैट नं.] को [तारीख] तक बता दें। समस्त रहिवासी सपरिवार आमंत्रित हैं।

मराठी

[सोसायटीचे नाव] सार्वजनिक गणेशोत्सव [वर्ष] श्रींची स्थापना: [१४ सप्टेंबर], [वेळ] · रोजची आरती: [सकाळ] व [संध्याकाळ] · विसर्जन: [तारीख], जमण्याची वेळ [वेळ] [तारीख] रोजी महाप्रसाद, [१२.३०] पासून. कृपया आपल्या कुटुंबातील सदस्यसंख्या [नाव / फ्लॅट क्र.] यांना [तारीख]पर्यंत कळवावी. सर्व रहिवाशांना सहकुटुंब सप्रेम निमंत्रण.

गणेशोत्सव [वर्ष] — [इमारतीचे नाव] बाप्पांचे आगमन [तारीख] रोजी. सांस्कृतिक कार्यक्रम [तारीख] रोजी [वेळ] वाजता, महाप्रसाद [तारीख] रोजी. आपल्या घरातील सदस्यसंख्या [तारीख]पर्यंत विंग प्रतिनिधींना कळवावी.

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8. Short invitation messages

For status updates, quick forwards and people you'll follow up with anyway.

Bappa is home. Darshan [6–9 pm] till [19th]. [address]. Message me the day you're coming.

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया! [तारीख] तक दर्शन खुला है, शाम [6 से 9]। आ रहे हों तो दिन बता दीजिए।

बाप्पा घरी आले आहेत. [१९] तारखेपर्यंत दर्शन, संध्याकाळी [६ ते ९]. येणार असाल तर दिवस कळवा.

Aarti [7 pm] daily at [flat no.]. Aa jao, dus minute ka kaam hai.

श्रींच्या दर्शनाला सहकुटुंब या. [पत्ता], रोज [७] वाजता आरती.

Mangalmurti Morya 🙏 Ganpati at ours [14–19 Sept]. Which evening are you free?

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Where the replies actually go

Here is the part nobody plans for. You send eight of the messages above, to five groups and a dozen individual chats. Then the answers start coming back — and they come back everywhere.

Four in the family group, buried under forwards. Two as voice notes. One as "haan haan aa rahe hain 👍" with no number attached. Three on your husband's phone because that's who they know. One as a missed call at 11 pm. Your bua replies on Instagram, for reasons nobody can explain.

By day two you are not hosting, you are doing reconciliation. And the count you finally arrive at is a guess, which is why so many Ganpati kitchens either cook for sixty and feed eleven, or run dry at the second aarti.

Two things genuinely help, and neither requires an app:

• One thread, one list. Keep a single note — paper is fine — with three columns: name, number of people, which evening. Update it the moment a reply lands, not later. Later never comes during Ganpati.
• Never ask twice in two places. If you've asked in the group, don't also ask individually. People stop answering messages they've already answered.

What neither of those fixes is that you are still the database. Every reply has to pass through your eyes and your memory before it becomes a number, for ten days, while you're also cooking and doing aarti.

The follow-up that isn't nagging

Two days before each moment, send one short nudge to the people whose replies you can't count. One — not a fresh broadcast to everyone, which is how you get muted mid-festival.

Just doing the prasad count for [Thursday] — are you two coming, or is it looking difficult? Either answer is completely fine, I just need the number.

[गुरुवार] के लिए गिनती कर रहा हूँ — आप दोनों आ रहे हैं या मुश्किल लग रहा है? दोनों जवाब बिल्कुल ठीक हैं, बस संख्या चाहिए।

[गुरुवार]साठी आकडा करतोय — तुम्ही दोघं येताय का, की जमणं अवघड आहे? दोन्ही उत्तरं अगदी चालतील, फक्त संख्या हवी.

"Either answer is completely fine" does more work than any other line here. It gives people an out, and people given an out answer honestly instead of going quiet.

Why every template above ends in a question

Because "do come" gets you "definitely!", and that is not information.

Ask instead for the two things you can cook and seat against — how many, and which evening. It's hard to answer with an emoji, and no Indian family finds it rude, because everyone understands you're asking in order to feed them.

You will still get "dekhte hain." In an Indian family that is rarely a no — it's a genuine maybe from someone whose own week is unsettled. Don't count it as a yes and don't chase it twice; we've written about reading those soft answers honestly. Hold them in a separate column and confirm on the morning itself.

A note on which language to send

If your circle is Marathi-speaking, send the Marathi version — not a translated-sounding rendering of the English. This matters more for Ganpati than for almost any other festival. A message that reads like the family it came from gets read; one that reads like a template gets scrolled past.

Mixing is fine too. Most of what I actually send is Hinglish, because that's how we talk. Don't perform a register your family doesn't use.

When you don't need any of this

If you're hosting twelve people you know by name, this is overkill. Send one message, call the two who don't reply, cook. A phone call to an elder beats every template on this page — we'd argue elders should get the call first rather than a broadcast.

These start earning their keep somewhere around thirty invitees, or the moment your darshan list and your eating list stop being the same people.

Past that point the problem stops being what to write and becomes where the replies land — and that is the one job a phone can do better than you can.

That's the specific thing Inyeet was built for. You paste the same message you copied above, but the invite carries a link. Guests tap it, pick their evening and their number, and the count updates itself — in one list, whether they came from the family group, the society group or a forward you never sent. Nobody installs anything to reply. You stop re-reading chats to work out who said yes, you can see on Wednesday morning how many are coming Thursday night, and the person cooking finally gets a real number instead of your best guess.

It won't write a better invitation than the one you just copied. It just stops the answers from scattering — which, ten days in, is the part that actually wears you down.

Before you send anything

Two companion pieces worth two minutes:

• Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 dates and the ten-day schedule — decide your own visarjan length before you invite anyone.
• Spreading darshan across three days — if you already know your evenings are going to collide.

And verify your sthapana muhurat against Drik Panchang or your family's own panchang before you put a time in a message. Tithi dates shift by region, and a time in writing is a time forty people will hold you to.