According to Tibetan astrology, there are twenty-eight stars that rotate daily through the heavens.

The seventh star is known as Gyal (rgyal), which means victory. Thursday is Phurbu in Tibetan, and it is the day of the week that is auspicious for gathering.

The astrologically auspicious day of Gyalphur occurs when the ppearance of the seventh star (rgyal) falls on a Thursday (phur). It occurs only two to three times a year. When it does occur, star (rgyal) falls on a (phur). It occurs practice of the three red deities (marpo khor sum) is exceptionally auspicious and effective. The three red deities are Kurukule, Takkiraja and Ganapati.

Ganapati is an elephant-headed deity that is also worshipped in the Hindu tradition, wherein it bears the name Ganesh. It is said that Ganapati will appear briefly to anyone who performs the appropriate rituals on this day. When Ganapati appears, he brings long life, good health, wealth, merit, wisdom, prosperity and glory.

Ganapati truly does appear to practicioners.

On September 1, 1995, there was an instance of Ganapati statues all over the world from London to Southeast Asia drinking milk. This was widely reported in all major newspapers. This auspicious manifestation of Ganapati’s blessings occurred on a Gyalphur day. It is all the more remarkable that the astrological calculation of Gyalphur exists only in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and so practitioners of Ganapati in other traditions and countries around the world were not aware of this coincidence. Ganapati’s blessings are still very active.

In 2013, the coincidence of Gyal and Phur occurred on 16th May, beginning at three in the afternoon and again on 13th June, lasting the entire day from morning until evening. A third Gyalphur occurred on 11th July, from five to nine in the morning.

In 2014, the Gyalphur days will be on 13th March for the entire day, and on 10th April from five to ten thirty in the morning. These dates and times are very auspicious for practice and for the undertaking of important activities.