Chhath Puja 2026: Date, 4-Day Schedule & Arghya Timings

Chhath Puja 2026 falls on Sunday, November 15, arriving six days after Diwali on Kartik Shukla Shashthi. The festival spans four days, from Nahay Khay on November 13 to Usha Arghya and Parana on November 16, with the main Sandhya Arghya (evening offering to the setting sun) on November 15 itself. Observed most intensely in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Nepal Terai — and increasingly by the diaspora in the US, UK, Mauritius and the Gulf — Chhath honours Surya Dev, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya (Goddess Usha) with a rigorous 36-hour fast, standing in water, and offerings at both sunset and sunrise.

What Is Chhath Puja?

Chhath Puja — also called Chhath, Chhathi, Dala Puja, Dala Chhath or Surya Shashti — is one of the most rigorous vrats (fasts) in the Hindu calendar. Devotees, known as vratins, thank Surya Dev for sustaining life on Earth and seek his blessings for the health, prosperity and long life of their families, especially their children. Unlike most Hindu festivals centred on a temple or murti, Chhath is performed almost entirely outdoors — on riverbanks, ponds and specially built ghats — where the vratin stands waist-deep in water to offer arghya (water offerings) directly to the sun.

When Is Chhath Puja 2026?

Chhath Puja 2026 falls on Sunday, November 15 — the day devotees offer Sandhya Arghya (evening arghya) to the setting sun, the ritual most commonly marked as 'Chhath Puja' on calendars. Drik Panchang places Shashthi Tithi of Kartik Shukla Paksha from 11:53 AM on November 14 to 2:30 PM on November 15 (reference clock); converted to Indian Standard Time (+10:30 hours), Shashthi Tithi spans roughly 10:23 PM on November 14 to 1:00 AM on November 16, which comfortably covers sunrise across India on November 15 — confirming the udaya tithi used for Chhath falls on that day. This is independently corroborated by Samvat.in's India-baseline calculation, which also places Chhath Puja 2026 on Sunday, November 15 (Shukla Shashthi, Kartik, Nakshatra Uttara Ashadha). Local sunrise and sunset times vary by city, so always confirm your local panchang before timing the arghya.

What Is the Full Puja Vidhi for Chhath?

1. Clean the home and set aside a sattvic kitchen — no onion, garlic or non-vegetarian food touches Chhath cooking.
2. On Nahay Khay (Nov 13), bathe in a river or clean water, then cook and eat kaddu-chana dal with rice — the last full meal before the fast tightens.
3. On Kharna (Nov 14), fast without water until sunset, then prepare kheer and roti as prasad; eat this meal quietly and share it with family.
4. From this point, begin the 36-hour nirjala vrat — no food or water until the fast ends after Usha Arghya.
5. Prepare the daura and soop (bamboo baskets) with thekua, seasonal fruit, sugarcane and coconut as prasad for the sun.
6. On Sandhya Arghya evening (Nov 15), carry the prasad to a riverbank, pond or Chhath ghat and stand in the water facing the setting sun.
7. Offer arghya — water and milk — to Surya Dev as the sun sets, accompanied by traditional Chhath geet (devotional folk songs).
8. Return to the ghat before sunrise on Nov 16 for Usha Arghya, repeating the water offering to the rising sun.
9. Break the fast (parana) after Usha Arghya with a sip of water or ginger-infused water, followed by prasad — completing the vrat.

What Rules Should Vratins Follow During Chhath?

• Sattvic-only kitchen: no onion, garlic or non-vegetarian food during the four days.
• The vratin sleeps on the floor and avoids the marital bed for the duration of the fast.
• Utensils used for prasad — especially the traditional mitti ka chulha (earthen stove) — are kept exclusively for Chhath.
• Silence and cleanliness are maintained while cooking the Kharna prasad.
• Family members often avoid non-vegetarian food and alcohol at home out of respect during Chhath week, even if they are not observing the vrat themselves.

Who Is Chhathi Maiya and What Is the Significance of Surya Shashti?

Chhath Puja worships two deities together: Surya Dev, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya, revered as the sixth (shashthi) form of Devi and traditionally identified with Usha, goddess of dawn and Surya's sister. Because Chhathi Maiya is believed to protect children and grant them long life, many vratins keep the fast specifically for the wellbeing of their sons and daughters. Popular tradition also links Chhath to the Mahabharata: Draupadi and the Pandavas are said to have observed a Surya vrat on sage Dhaumya's advice during their exile to overcome hardship, and Karna — son of Surya — is remembered as a lifelong worshipper of the Sun who stood in water to offer him arghya, a devotion many believe shaped the ritual observed today.

Om Suryaya Namah

— Traditional Surya mantra, chanted while offering arghya

Where Is Chhath Puja Celebrated?

Chhath Puja is observed most widely in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and across the Terai region of Nepal, where it ranks among the largest festivals of the year — Bihar and Delhi both see local administrations build temporary ghats to manage the crowds. Migration has carried Chhath well beyond its heartland: Bihari and Purvanchali communities now observe it at riverbanks and artificial ponds in Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Kolkata, as well as among the diaspora in Mauritius, Trinidad, Fiji, Suriname, the Gulf and increasingly the US and UK, where community groups build makeshift ghats using lakefronts or even large pools when a natural river isn't available.

How Does Chhath Puja 2026 Connect to Diwali and the Kartik Festival Season?

Chhath falls exactly six days after Diwali, on the Shashthi of the same Kartik month, so North Indian households often plan the two festivals together. Where Diwali centres on Lakshmi and the home, Chhath shifts the focus outdoors, to Surya and the community ghat, closing out the intense festive stretch that runs from Dhanteras through Bhai Dooj and into Chhath.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chhath Puja 2026

Can Chhath Puja Be Observed Outside Bihar and Jharkhand?

Yes. While the rituals originate in the Bihar-Jharkhand-eastern UP belt, the vrat has no regional restriction — anyone can observe it near any clean water body, and Chhath samitis (community associations) now build ghats in cities and countries far from Bihar specifically to support migrants and NRIs who want to continue the tradition.

What Happens If the Sky Is Cloudy During Arghya?

Vratins are advised to offer arghya at the correct sunset or sunrise time for their location even if the sun isn't visible through cloud cover — timing, not visual sighting, determines when the ritual is performed. Checking a local panchang for accurate sunrise and sunset times for your city is the most reliable way to time the offering correctly.

Is Chhath Puja the Same as Surya Shashti?

Yes — Surya Shashti is the formal Sanskrit name for Chhath Puja, referring to the Shashthi (sixth) tithi on which the main Sandhya Arghya is offered to Surya Dev. The two names are used interchangeably across panchang calendars and festival listings.