Chhath Puja 2026 runs from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November. Nahay Khay is on 13 November, Kharna on 14 November, the evening Sandhya Arghya at sunset on Sunday 15 November, and the morning Usha Arghya at sunrise on Monday 16 November, after which the vratis break their fast. In Patna the Sandhya Arghya is at about 5:01 PM and the Usha Arghya at about 6:07 AM.
The four days of Chhath Puja 2026
| Day | Date | Ritual |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday, 13 November | Nahay Khay: holy bath and one pure meal |
| 2 | Saturday, 14 November | Kharna (Lohanda): day-long fast, kheer and roti after sunset; the 36-hour nirjala fast begins |
| 3 | Sunday, 15 November | Sandhya Arghya: offering to the setting sun |
| 4 | Monday, 16 November | Usha Arghya and paran: offering to the rising sun, then breaking the fast |
In panchang terms, Chhath runs from Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Saptami. The main day, Shashthi, gives the festival its name (Chhath, from shashthi, the sixth). It falls six days after Diwali, which is on 8 November this year.
Arghya times for major cities
Arghya is offered at your local sunset and sunrise, so the time depends on where you are.
| City | Sandhya Arghya (sunset, 15 Nov) | Usha Arghya (sunrise, 16 Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| Patna | about 5:01 PM | about 6:07 AM |
| Varanasi | about 5:10 PM | about 6:17 AM |
| Kolkata | about 4:53 PM | about 5:50 AM |
| New Delhi | about 5:28 PM | about 6:44 AM |
| Mumbai | about 6:00 PM | about 6:46 AM |
Times are calculated for a flat horizon. Buildings, trees and winter haze can hide the sun a few minutes early, so be standing in the water well before the listed time. Our book gives times for 20 cities, including Ranchi, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune.
What happens on each day
Day 1: Nahay Khay (13 November)
The house, and especially the kitchen, is cleaned thoroughly. The vrati bathes in a river or pond, or with clean water at home, and eats one sattvik meal, traditionally kaddu-bhaat (bottle gourd, chana dal and rice) cooked without onion or garlic.
Day 2: Kharna (14 November)
The vrati fasts through the day. After sunset, rasiya (jaggery kheer) and roti are cooked, offered to Chhathi Maiya and eaten as prasad. From this point the 36-hour fast without water begins.
Day 3: Sandhya Arghya (15 November)
The family prepares thekua, fruit, sugarcane and other offerings and arranges them in bamboo soop and daura. At the ghat, the vrati stands in the water and offers arghya to the setting sun. In many families the kosi is filled with lamps that night.
Day 4: Usha Arghya and paran (16 November)
Before dawn the family returns to the ghat. The vrati offers arghya to the rising sun, prays to Chhathi Maiya for the family, and then breaks the fast with prasad and water.
Keeping Chhath away from home
Millions of families from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh now keep Chhath in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and abroad. If you can't reach a river or pond, a clean tank, a society pool or a large tub of water at home is widely accepted. What matters is purity, the timings of your local sun, and the arghya offered with devotion.
Chhath samagri checklist
Bamboo soop and daura, thekua, fruits (banana bunch, coconut, sugarcane, citrus, water chestnut), fresh turmeric and ginger plants, rice laddoos (kasar), diyas and ghee, a lota or brass vessel for arghya, new clothes for the vrati, and sindoor.
The complete Chhath book
Chhath Puja 2026 takes you through all four days of the Mahaparv in a 52-page guide: the purity rules, Sandhya and Usha Arghya times for 20 cities, the kosi, the prasad with recipes for kaddu-bhaat, kharna rasiya and thekua, the arghya mantras and the twelve names of Surya with meaning, and the complete Aditya Hridayam (all 31 verses). Written for vratis and for families keeping Chhath far from home. Instant PDF, ₹249.
Chhath follows Diwali by six days. For the Lakshmi Puja on 8 November, see our Diwali 2026 guide.
Frequently asked questions
When is Chhath Puja in 2026?
Chhath Puja 2026 runs from Friday 13 November (Nahay Khay) to Monday 16 November (Usha Arghya). The main evening arghya, Sandhya Arghya, is on Sunday 15 November.
What is the Sandhya Arghya time in Patna in 2026?
About 5:01 PM on Sunday 15 November 2026, at local sunset. The Usha Arghya is at about 6:07 AM on Monday 16 November.
Can Chhath Puja be done at home without a river?
Yes. A clean tank, a society pool or a large tub of water at home is widely accepted if you can't reach a river or pond.
How long is the Chhath fast?
The main fast lasts about 36 hours without water, from after the Kharna prasad on the evening of day 2 to the paran after Usha Arghya on day 4.
Can men keep the Chhath vrat?
Yes. Both women and men keep the Chhath vrat, and many men in Bihar are vratis.
General guidance on a traditional observance, not medical advice. Please speak to a doctor before a long fast if you have a health condition. Customs vary between families; follow yours.