For how many days should we keep the Gaṇeśa idol at home on Gaṇeśa Caturthī?

1½, 3, 5, 7 or 10 days are all traditional; follow your family custom, or choose what you can sustain with care.

On Bhādrapada Śukla Caturthī the idol is welcomed home, prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā is done (Gaṇeśa is invited to dwell in it), and he is treated as a beloved guest. The festival runs till Ananta Caturdaśī, the tenth day after, but families do visarjana earlier depending on custom: 1½ days is very common in Maharashtra, while others keep him 3, 5 or 7 days.

Whatever the length, the guest is looked after properly: morning and evening pūjā and āratī, fresh flowers and dūrvā, a naivedya at least once a day, and someone at home so he is not left alone.

If this is your first year, it is perfectly fine to begin with 1½ days. Once a family starts a custom, many prefer to keep it, but changing it for genuine reasons is not a fault.

Festival: Bhādrapada Śukla Caturthī to Ananta Caturdaśī · Source: regional and family custom

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