Chhath Puja 2026: Date, 4-Day Calendar, Arghya Timings and Significance
Chhath Puja 2026 will be observed from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November. It is a four-day festival dedicated to Surya, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya, observed with a rigorous 36-hour nirjala fast and arghya offered to the setting sun and the rising sun.
The festival is most fervently observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Nepal Terai, and by their diaspora worldwide. It begins about a week after Diwali, which falls on 8 November in 2026. This guide gives the verified 2026 dates, the day-by-day vidhi, city-wise arghya timings, the samagri list and the significance of each ritual.
Chhath Puja 2026 Dates at a Glance
The four days of Chhath Puja 2026 are listed below. The main evening offering, Sandhya Arghya, falls on Sunday, 15 November, and the festival ends with Usha Arghya on the morning of Monday, 16 November.
| Day | Date 2026 | Ritual |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1, Nahay Khay | Friday, 13 November | Holy bath, one sattvic meal, purity begins |
| Day 2, Kharna (Lohanda) | Saturday, 14 November | Day-long fast, broken after sunset with kheer-roti prasad, then the 36-hour nirjala fast begins |
| Day 3, Sandhya Arghya | Sunday, 15 November | Evening arghya to the SETTING sun, standing in water at the ghat |
| Day 4, Usha Arghya (Paran) | Monday, 16 November | Morning arghya to the RISING sun, the fast is broken (parana) |
What Is Chhath Puja?
Chhath Puja is one of the oldest surviving Vedic traditions, rooted in the worship of the sun. Its name comes from the Sanskrit word for six, because the festival falls on Shashthi, the sixth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Kartik.
Two deities are worshipped together: Surya, the giver of life, warmth and sustenance, and Chhathi Maiya, the divine mother who protects children and families. Chhath needs no idol and no priest between the devotee and the deity. The devotee keeping the vrat, called the vrati or parvaitin, stands in water with a basket of offerings and worships the sun directly.
The festival is also called Kartik Chhath to distinguish it from the smaller Chaiti Chhath observed in Chaitra (March or April), which follows the same rituals on a smaller scale.
Day-by-Day Vidhi: The Four Days of Chhath
Each of the four days has a distinct ritual. Purity is central throughout: the house, the kitchen and the path to the ghat are cleaned, and nothing prepared for the offering is tasted before it has been offered.
Day 1, Nahay Khay (Friday, 13 November): The vrati takes a holy bath in a river or clean water body and eats one simple sattvic meal, often lauki-bhaat (bottle gourd and rice) cooked without onion or garlic. From this day, purity rules begin.
Day 2, Kharna (Saturday, 14 November): The vrati fasts through the day and breaks the fast after sunset with kheer made with jaggery, roti and fruits, offered first as prasad. After this meal, the true austerity begins: a 36-hour nirjala fast with no food and no water.
Day 3, Sandhya Arghya (Sunday, 15 November): Families carry the soop, bamboo winnowing baskets filled with thekua, sugarcane, bananas, coconuts and diyas, down to the riverbank. Standing waist-deep in the water, the vrati offers arghya to the setting sun.
Day 4, Usha Arghya (Monday, 16 November): Before sunrise, devotees return to the ghat and offer arghya to the rising sun. The fast is then broken with prasad, and the festival ends.
Arghya Timings: City-Wise Sunset and Sunrise
Sandhya Arghya is offered at sunset on 15 November and Usha Arghya at sunrise on 16 November. The times below are approximate and local, so confirm with your local panchang on the day.
| City | Sandhya Arghya (Sunset, 15 Nov) | Usha Arghya (Sunrise, 16 Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| Patna | 5:02 PM | 6:08 AM |
| Delhi | 5:29 PM | 6:45 AM |
| Kolkata | 4:54 PM | 5:51 AM |
| Mumbai | 6:01 PM | 6:47 AM |
| Ranchi | 5:05 PM | 6:04 AM |
| Varanasi | 5:11 PM | 6:17 AM |
Chhath Puja Samagri List
The offerings are carried to the ghat in bamboo soop baskets. The essentials are listed below.
- Bamboo soop (winnowing baskets) and diyas
- Thekua (wheat flour and jaggery cakes), kheer, roti and fruits
- Sugarcane stalks, bananas and whole coconuts
- Gangajal or clean water, milk and Ganga water for arghya
- Turmeric, sindoor, akshat (unbroken rice) and fresh flowers
- New clothes for the vrati, traditionally worn after the bath
Significance of Chhath Puja
Chhath is the only great festival that bows to the setting sun before it bows to the rising one. The setting sun represents gratitude for what has been received: light, warmth and life. The rising sun represents prayer for what is to come: new beginnings and blessings for the family.
Devotees observe the fast for the health and long life of their children, for family prosperity, and to fulfil a mannat (vow). The 36-hour nirjala fast is among the most demanding in Hindu tradition, and completing it is itself an act of devotion.
The festival also carries a message of cleanliness and gratitude toward nature. Rivers and ghats are cleaned before the festival, and the offerings are simple gifts of the earth: grain, fruit, sugarcane and water.
How to Observe Chhath Puja at Home
If no river or ghat is nearby, Chhath can be observed at home. Devotees in cities and abroad use a clean pond, a water tank, a large tub on a terrace, or a clean water body near home, keeping the same purity rules and the same fast.
Keep the soop, thekua and fruits ready before sunset, confirm the local sunset and sunrise times, and offer arghya facing the sun at both times. The devotion and discipline of the vrat matter more than the size of the gathering.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Chhath Puja in 2026?
Chhath Puja 2026 runs from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November. The main evening offering, Sandhya Arghya, is on Sunday, 15 November, and the festival ends with Usha Arghya on the morning of Monday, 16 November.
What is the 36-hour fast in Chhath Puja?
The 36-hour nirjala fast begins after the Kharna meal on the evening of Saturday, 14 November and ends after Usha Arghya on the morning of Monday, 16 November. During this time the vrati takes no food and no water.
What is offered during Arghya?
Arghya is offered standing in water, using water and milk poured toward the sun, with a soop basket holding thekua, sugarcane, bananas, coconut, fruits and lighted diyas.
Can Chhath Puja be observed at home without a river?
Yes. Devotees without a nearby river use a clean pond, tank, large tub or other clean water body at home, keeping the same purity rules, fast and arghya timings.
Why is arghya offered to the setting sun first?
The setting sun represents gratitude for what has been received, while the rising sun represents prayer for what is to come. Chhath uniquely worships the sun at both moments of transition, sunset and sunrise.
What is the difference between Kartik Chhath and Chaiti Chhath?
Kartik Chhath, observed in October or November, is the main and larger festival. Chaiti Chhath, observed in Chaitra (March or April), follows the same four-day rituals but is observed by fewer households and on a smaller scale.
