Chhath Puja 2026 begins on Friday, 13 November (Nahay Khay) and ends on Monday, 16 November (Usha Arghya). The main day is Sunday, 15 November 2026, when devotees offer arghya to the setting sun. The morning offering and the end of the fast come at sunrise on Monday, 16 November.
Chhath is one of the most loved festivals of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and it is now kept in cities and countries all over the world. It is a festival of thanks to the Sun God (Surya Dev) and to Chhathi Maiya. This guide gives you the exact Chhath Puja 2026 date, the day-by-day schedule, sunset and sunrise times for major cities, the puja vidhi, a full samagri list and simple safety tips. Everything is written in plain words so that first-time readers and first-time vratis can follow it easily.
Chhath Puja 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Festival name | Chhath Puja (also called Surya Shashthi and Dala Chhath) |
| Dates | Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November 2026 |
| Main day (Sandhya Arghya) | Sunday, 15 November 2026 |
| Hindu month and tithi | Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Saptami (main day on Shashthi) |
| Deities worshipped | Surya Dev (Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya |
| Length of the strict fast | About 36 hours, without food and water (nirjala) |
| Signature prasad | Thekua |
| Mostly observed in | Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, the Terai region of Nepal, and Indian communities abroad |
| Comes after | Diwali (Sunday, 8 November 2026) |
Chhath Puja 2026 Schedule: All Four Days
| Day | Date | Tithi | Ritual | In short |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Friday, 13 November 2026 | Chaturthi | Nahay Khay | Holy bath, clean home, one pure meal |
| Day 2 | Saturday, 14 November 2026 | Panchami | Kharna (Lohanda) | Fast all day, kheer and roti in the evening, then the waterless fast begins |
| Day 3 | Sunday, 15 November 2026 | Shashthi | Sandhya Arghya | Arghya to the setting sun at the ghat |
| Day 4 | Monday, 16 November 2026 | Saptami | Usha Arghya and Parana | Arghya to the rising sun, then the fast is broken |
Why is the main day 15 November? In the New Delhi panchang published by Drik Panchang, Panchami lasts until about 11:23 PM on Saturday, 14 November, and Shashthi then runs until about 2:00 AM on Monday, 16 November. This means Shashthi is the tithi at sunset on Sunday, 15 November, so the evening arghya falls on that day. Tithi timings can shift slightly from city to city, so confirm with your local panchang or family priest.
Arghya Time: Sunset and Sunrise in Major Cities
The two arghya offerings depend on the actual sunset and sunrise in your town. The times below are approximate and are meant as a guide. They are for the city centre. Near a river bank, hills or tall buildings, the sun may seem to set or rise a few minutes earlier or later.
| City | Sandhya Arghya: sunset on 15 Nov | Usha Arghya: sunrise on 16 Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Patna | about 5:02 PM | about 6:06 AM |
| Ranchi | about 5:05 PM | about 6:01 AM |
| Varanasi | about 5:11 PM | about 6:14 AM |
| Lucknow | about 5:16 PM | about 6:25 AM |
| New Delhi | about 5:28 PM | about 6:44 AM |
| Kolkata | about 4:54 PM | about 5:48 AM |
| Mumbai | about 6:01 PM | about 6:45 AM |
| Kathmandu (Nepal time) | about 5:13 PM | about 6:24 AM |
Many families reach the water 30 to 60 minutes before sunset, and leave home in the dark for the morning arghya. If you live outside India, use the sunset and sunrise of your own city for 15 and 16 November, not the Indian times. For the exact minute, check Drik Panchang or the notice put up by your local ghat committee.
What Is Chhath Puja?
Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu festival in which people thank the Sun God for light, energy and food, and pray to Chhathi Maiya for the health and long life of their children and family. The word “Chhath” comes from the word for the number six, because the main rituals fall on the sixth day (Shashthi) of the bright half of the month of Kartik.
What makes Chhath special is how simple and natural it is. There is no idol and no temple. The worship is done in the open, at a river, pond or any clean body of water, facing the sun at sunset and sunrise. In most families no priest is needed. The vratis (people who keep the fast) offer fruits, sugarcane and thekua from bamboo baskets, and the whole family and neighbourhood help. This is why Chhath is often called a festival of the people.
A smaller version, called Chaiti Chhath, is also kept in spring in the month of Chaitra. The Kartik Chhath is by far the bigger and better known one.
Why Is Chhath Puja Celebrated?
Chhath is mainly a festival of gratitude. The sun is the one god people can see every day, and the festival honours it at both the end and the start of the day. Chhathi Maiya is worshipped as a protector of children, and she is identified with Shashthi Devi. Folk tradition describes her as the sister of the Sun God.
Several stories are told about the origin of the vrat:
- Karna: The Mahabharata hero Karna, son of Surya, is said to have stood in water every morning to offer arghya to his father.
- Draupadi and the Pandavas: They are said to have kept the vrat to overcome their hardships.
- Sita: In one telling, Sita worshipped the Sun after returning to Ayodhya with Rama.
- King Priyavrat and Queen Malini: They are said to have been blessed with a child through the grace of Shashthi Devi.
These stories are handed down through songs and family memory. They are traditions of faith, not proven history, and different regions tell them in different ways.
Chhath Puja Vidhi: Day-by-Day Rituals
Day 1: Nahay Khay (Friday, 13 November 2026)
The name means “bathe and eat.” The vrati takes a bath, preferably in a river or pond, or at home with clean water. The house and kitchen are cleaned thoroughly. Only one pure meal is cooked and eaten that day. A common menu is rice, chana dal and bottle gourd (lauki) vegetable, made without onion and garlic and with rock salt (sendha namak) instead of regular salt. The family usually eats first and the vrati eats last. From this day, the kitchen is kept strictly clean and outside food is not brought in.
Day 2: Kharna (Saturday, 14 November 2026)
The vrati keeps a full day’s fast, with no water. After sunset, a small puja is done and the Kharna prasad is offered to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya. The prasad is usually kheer made from rice, milk and jaggery, along with roti or puri and a banana. The vrati eats it quietly, and then the prasad is shared with family and neighbours. After this meal the 36-hour nirjala fast begins. The vrati will not take any food or water until the sunrise offering on Monday morning.
Day 3: Sandhya Arghya (Sunday, 15 November 2026)
This is the main day of Chhath. The morning is spent preparing the prasad, mainly thekua, and packing the soop (bamboo tray) and daura (bamboo basket) with fruits, sugarcane and a lamp. In the afternoon the family walks to the ghat, often with the basket carried on the head, singing Chhath songs. At sunset, the vrati stands in the water facing the sun and offers arghya, while family members pour milk or water over the offerings. Many families then do kosi bharai, lighting clay lamps under a small canopy of sugarcane stalks at home or at the ghat, and spend the night singing.
Day 4: Usha Arghya and Parana (Monday, 16 November 2026)
Long before dawn, the family returns to the ghat. The vrati stands in the water, now facing east, and offers arghya to the rising sun. After prayers to Chhathi Maiya, the vrati breaks the fast. This is called parana. It is usually done gently, with a little prasad, ginger and water, rather than a heavy meal. Prasad is then shared with everyone present.
The 36-Hour Fast: Health Guidance
Chhath is one of the hardest fasts in Hinduism. The vrati goes without food and water for about 36 hours and also stands in cold water twice. Please take this seriously.
- Speak to a doctor first if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, elderly, diabetic, or have blood pressure, heart or kidney problems, or take regular medicines.
- You do not need to keep the strictest form. Many families keep a shorter fast, or a fruit-and-water fast. In some families a relative offers the arghya on behalf of someone who cannot fast. Tradition has room for this, and a vrat kept within your limits is not a lesser vrat.
- Break the fast slowly. Start with water, ginger and a little prasad, and eat a normal meal later.
- Stop if your body warns you. If you feel dizzy, confused, faint, or have chest pain, end the fast at once and get medical help. No tradition asks anyone to risk their health.
This article is general information and not medical advice.
Chhath Puja Samagri List
Most items can be bought fresh from the local market a few days before Nahay Khay. Lists differ from family to family, so follow your own family custom.
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Soop and daura (bamboo tray and basket) | To carry and offer the prasad at the ghat |
| Thekua | The main prasad, made of wheat flour and jaggery |
| Sugarcane (full stalks) | For the offering and for the kosi canopy |
| Fruits | Banana, coconut, pomelo or large citrus, water chestnut, sweet potato and other seasonal fruits |
| Fresh turmeric and ginger | Often placed in the soop, with leaves if available |
| Clay or brass diyas, wicks, ghee or oil | For lamps at the ghat, at home and for kosi |
| Kalash or lota, and milk or water | For pouring arghya |
| Puja thali | To carry small items to the ghat |
| Akshat (rice), betel leaf, betel nut | For puja |
| Incense and camphor | For worship at the ghat and at the home altar |
| Vermilion (sindoor) and suhag items | Used by married women, as per custom |
| New clothes | Often unstitched or freshly washed clothes for the vrati |
| Mango wood and a clay stove (if used) | For cooking Kharna prasad, as per family tradition |
You do not need to buy everything to keep Chhath. Devotion matters more than expense, and many families have used the same brass vessels for generations.
Thekua: The Signature Chhath Prasad
Thekua is a crisp, lightly sweet cookie that is deep fried and offered to the Sun. Recipes differ, but this simple version is widely used. It makes about 20 pieces.
Ingredients: 250 g whole wheat flour, 100 to 125 g jaggery, 4 tablespoons ghee, 3 to 4 tablespoons grated dry coconut, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, half a teaspoon cardamom powder, some warm water, and ghee or oil for frying.
Method:
- Dissolve the jaggery in a little warm water and strain it.
- Rub the ghee into the flour until it looks like crumbs. Add coconut, fennel and cardamom.
- Knead a stiff dough using the jaggery water. Do not make it soft.
- Shape small flat rounds. Press them with a mould or the tines of a fork to make the pattern.
- Fry on low to medium heat until deep golden brown. Cool completely before packing.
Prasad is prepared in a clean kitchen, and by tradition nobody tastes it before it is offered.
Ghat Etiquette and Safety
Ghats are crowded at both arghya times. A few simple habits keep everyone safe and respectful.
- Walk barefoot and leave leather items such as shoes, belts and bags outside the ghat area.
- Do not step over or across baskets and prasad placed on the ground. Walk around them.
- Do not touch another family’s soop, lota or prasad, and do not taste any prasad before the arghya is complete.
- Stay in shallow water. Arghya is offered at most about waist deep. Currents and river beds change, so never leave children unsupervised.
- Follow the barricades, safe-depth markers and instructions of volunteers and the police.
- Arrive early to clean and mark your family’s spot, and set up the sugarcane and lamps before the crowd builds.
- Do not use soap, shampoo or oil in the water, and do not throw plastic, thermocol or synthetic material into it. Take your waste back with you.
- Dress modestly, keep phones away during the arghya, and avoid taking photos of other families without asking.
- If there is no river nearby, a clean pond, community tank, rooftop drum or a tub of water at home is widely accepted. The same rules of cleanliness apply.
Where Is Chhath Puja Celebrated?
Chhath is most closely linked with Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, where local administrations prepare the ghats weeks in advance. It is equally important in the Madhesh and Terai region of Nepal. Because people from these regions have moved to other cities, Chhath is now also seen on the Yamuna and canal ghats of Delhi NCR, in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, often at ponds and artificial tanks. It is also kept by Indian-origin communities in Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Fiji, the USA, the UK and the Gulf countries.
Chhath in the 2026 Festival Season
Chhath is the last of the big festivals that follow Diwali. Here is how the days line up in 2026.
| Festival | Date in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dhanteras | Friday, 6 November |
| Diwali | Sunday, 8 November |
| Govardhan Puja | Tuesday, 10 November |
| Bhai Dooj | Wednesday, 11 November |
| Chhath Puja | Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November |
Panchang dates can move by a day in some cities, so cross-check them with your local calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Chhath Puja in 2026?
Chhath Puja 2026 starts on Friday, 13 November and ends on Monday, 16 November. The main Sandhya Arghya is on Sunday, 15 November, and the Usha Arghya is on Monday, 16 November.
What are the four days of Chhath Puja?
They are Nahay Khay (13 November), Kharna or Lohanda (14 November), Sandhya Arghya (15 November) and Usha Arghya with parana (16 November).
Which is the main day of Chhath Puja 2026?
Sunday, 15 November 2026 is the main day. It is Kartik Shukla Shashthi, when arghya is offered to the setting sun.
What is the sunset time for Chhath Puja 2026?
It depends on your city. On 15 November sunset is about 5:02 PM in Patna, 5:28 PM in New Delhi, 4:54 PM in Kolkata and 6:01 PM in Mumbai. Check your local time before you leave for the ghat.
Why is arghya offered to both the setting and the rising sun?
It honours the sun at the end and at the start of the day. It expresses thanks for life and energy, and it is also seen as a symbol of faith in both endings and new beginnings.
How long is the Chhath fast?
The strict nirjala fast lasts about 36 hours. It begins after the Kharna prasad on the evening of 14 November and ends after the Usha Arghya on the morning of 16 November.
What is offered during Chhath Puja?
Devotees offer thekua, fruits such as banana and coconut, sugarcane, and water or milk, using a bamboo soop or daura.
Can men keep the Chhath fast?
Yes. Most vratis are women, often the senior woman of the home, but many men also keep the Chhath vrat. It is usually taken as a vow for a particular wish and continued every year or passed on to the next generation.
Do you need a priest for Chhath Puja?
Usually no. Chhath has no fixed mantras and no required priest. The vrati and family perform the rituals themselves, which is why it is often called a festival of the people.
Can Chhath be celebrated at home without a river?
Yes. A clean pond, community tank, rooftop drum or a large tub of water at home is widely accepted. Cleanliness and devotion matter more than the size of the water body.
What should I know before keeping the fast for the first time?
Talk to your doctor, learn the order of events from an experienced family member, prepare the kitchen early, arrange helpers and keep warm clothes ready. You may keep a shorter or fruit-and-water fast if the full fast is not safe for you.
Which prasad is most important in Chhath?
Thekua, a fried sweet made of wheat flour and jaggery, is the most important Chhath prasad. It is offered along with seasonal fruits and sugarcane.
Conclusion
Chhath Puja 2026 falls from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November, with the main arghya at sunset on Sunday, 15 November and at sunrise on Monday, 16 November. It asks for patience, cleanliness and strong faith, but it asks nothing more than a clean spot of water, simple food and a thankful heart.