Quick Answer
Chhath Puja is a four-day vrat dedicated to Surya and Chhathi Maiya, observed mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. In 2026 it runs from 13 to 16 November: Nahay Khay on Friday 13 November, Kharna on Saturday 14 November, Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 November and Usha Arghya on Monday 16 November. The main ritual is the offering of arghya to the setting Sun on 15 November and to the rising Sun the next morning, which closes a fast that many devotees keep without water for about 36 hours.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Chhath Puja 2026: 13 to 16 November 2026 (four days)
- Main day (Sandhya Arghya): Sunday, 15 November 2026
- Tithi: Kartika Shukla Shashthi
- Shashthi tithi: 11:23 PM on 14 November to 02:00 AM on 16 November (New Delhi)
- Nahay Khay: Friday, 13 November 2026
- Kharna (Lohanda): Saturday, 14 November 2026
- Usha Arghya and Parana: Monday, 16 November 2026
- Main regions: Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Nepal and the Mithila region
Chhath Puja 2026 dates
Chhath Puja 2026 begins on Friday, 13 November with Nahay Khay and ends on Monday, 16 November with Usha Arghya. The main day, when arghya is offered to the setting Sun, is Sunday, 15 November 2026, the Shashthi of the bright fortnight of Kartika.
The tithi itself begins at 11:23 PM on 14 November and ends at 02:00 AM on 16 November according to the New Delhi panchang. Because the tithi spans parts of three days, the four-day sequence is fixed by tradition rather than by the tithi alone, and the clock times of sunrise and sunset differ from city to city.
The four days of Chhath
- Nahay Khay, 13 November. The devotee bathes in a river or a pond, cleans the house and the kitchen, and takes a single simple meal of rice, dal and lauki (kaddu) before the fast begins.
- Kharna, 14 November. A fast without water is kept from sunrise to sunset. It is broken after sunset with rasiao kheer, roti and jaggery, and the prasad is shared with the family. This day is also called Lohanda.
- Sandhya Arghya, 15 November. The main day. Families go to a river ghat or a pond in the evening and offer arghya to the setting Sun with a soop or dala of bamboo holding thekua, fruits, sugarcane and a lit diya.
- Usha Arghya, 16 November. Before sunrise the same offerings are made to the rising Sun. The 36-hour fast is then broken with prasad, an occasion called Parana.
Who is worshipped on Chhath
The festival is addressed to Surya, the Sun, and to Chhathi Maiya, also called Shashthi Devi, the goddess associated with the sixth day after a birth and with the protection of children. Chhath is unusual because there is no idol at the centre of the ritual. The Sun is worshipped directly, standing in or beside water, and the offerings are made to the light itself.
The name comes from shashthi, the sixth tithi of the lunar fortnight, which is the day of the main ritual. The vrat is kept most often for the wellbeing of children and the family, and a devotee who begins it is expected to continue it every year.
What goes into the soop
The bamboo soop or daura is filled with thekua, the wheat and jaggery cookie made for this festival, along with kheer, bananas, sugarcane, coconut, radish, citron and seasonal fruit. Many households prepare thekua without salt for the offering. A diya and incense are placed with the prasad, and a small bamboo basket is often kept for the family deity as well.
Why the setting Sun is offered first
Chhath is the one major Hindu festival in which arghya is given to the setting Sun before the rising Sun. The evening offering is read as gratitude for the day that has passed, and the morning offering as a request for the day to come. Together they close the circle, which is why the two arghyas are treated as one continuous ritual rather than two separate pujas.
Where Chhath is celebrated
The festival is at its largest in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, with the ghats of Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Varanasi and the Bagmati in Kathmandu filling with devotees. It is also observed by migrant families in Delhi, Mumbai, Surat and other cities, where temporary ghats are built at lakes and rivers for the two arghyas.
Cleanliness of the ghat and of the offerings is treated as part of the vow, so the days before Chhath are used to clean the riverbanks, the ponds and the route to the water.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Chhath Puja in 2026?
Chhath Puja 2026 runs from 13 to 16 November. Nahay Khay is on Friday 13 November, Kharna on Saturday 14 November, Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 November and Usha Arghya on Monday 16 November 2026.
Which is the main day of Chhath Puja?
The main day is the third day, when arghya is offered to the setting Sun. In 2026 that is Sunday 15 November, on Kartika Shukla Shashthi. The fourth day, 16 November, is Usha Arghya, when the rising Sun is offered arghya.
Why is arghya offered to the setting Sun in Chhath?
Chhath is the only major festival where the setting Sun is worshipped before the rising Sun. The evening arghya is offered as gratitude for the day that is ending, and the morning arghya the next day asks for the wellbeing of the family in the day to come.
How long is the Chhath fast?
The strict fast, kept by the main devotee, runs without water for about 36 hours. It begins after the Kharna prasad on the evening of the second day and is broken after Usha Arghya on the morning of the fourth day. Children and other family members usually keep a lighter fast.
Who is Chhathi Maiya?
Chhathi Maiya is Shashthi Devi, the goddess of the sixth day, who is associated with the protection of children and with the wellbeing of the family. She is worshipped along with Surya on the Shashthi tithi of Kartika Shukla Paksha.
What prasad is made for Chhath Puja?
The main prasad is thekua, a wheat and jaggery cookie, along with rasiao kheer, bananas, sugarcane, coconut and seasonal fruit. The offerings are placed in a bamboo soop with a diya and carried to the water for the arghya.