Quick answer
- Chhath Puja 2026
- Sunday, 15 November 2026
- Tithi
- Kartik Shukla ShashthiKartika Shukla Shashthi (amanta)
- Fast
- 36-hour nirjala (no food or water)
- Observed for
- Health, children and the family’s well-being
- Nahay-Khay
- Fri, 13 Nov
- Kharna
- Sat, 14 Nov · Sunset 05:01 PM
What is it? A four-day festival of the Sun and Chhathi Maiya, with a 36-hour nirjala fast and offerings to the setting and rising sun.
Why is it observed? Devotees thank Surya for sustaining life and pray to Chhathi Maiya for the health and long life of their children and family.
How is it observed? Nahay-Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya at sunset on Shashthi, and Usha Arghya at sunrise the next morning, standing in water.
Chhath Puja 2026 date & muhurat
| Shashthi tithi begins | Sat, 14 Nov, 11:24 PM |
|---|---|
| Shashthi tithi ends | Mon, 16 Nov, 02:02 AM |
| Evening arghya (sunset) | 05:01 PM |
| Morning arghya (sunrise) | Mon, 16 Nov, 06:07 AM |
| Sunrise | 06:07 AM |
Day by day
- Fri, 13 Nov
Nahay-Khay
The vrati bathes in a river or pond and eats one sattvic meal — traditionally kaddu-bhaat (bottle gourd with rice and chana dal) cooked in the purest way.
- Sat, 14 Nov
Kharna · Sunset 05:01 PM
A day-long fast. After sunset, rasiao (jaggery kheer) and roti are offered and eaten as prasad; the 36-hour nirjala fast begins.
- Sun, 15 Nov
Sandhya Arghya · Sunset 05:01 PM
Standing in water, the vrati offers arghya to the setting sun with baskets of thekua and fruit.
- Mon, 16 Nov
Usha Arghya & Paran · Sunrise 06:07 AM
Arghya to the rising sun at the ghat, then the fast is broken with prasad.
Why is Chhath Puja observed?
Religious
Chhath is one of the few festivals dedicated to Surya, the visible god, and to Chhathi Maiya (Shashthi Devi), protector of children.
Purity and discipline
The prasad is prepared with extraordinary care — on new clay stoves, without salt, onion or garlic — and the vrati observes one of the hardest fasts of the year.
Without intermediaries
Chhath needs no priest: the vrati offers arghya directly to the Sun, and the whole community gathers at the ghats together.
Cultural
Chhath songs, decorated ghats and families returning home from across India make it the defining festival of Bihar and Purvanchal.
Stories behind Chhath
Characters: Surya, Chhathi Maiya (Shashthi Devi), Sita, Karna, Draupadi
Chhathi Maiya is honoured as Shashthi Devi, a mother goddess who protects newborns and children; in folk tradition she is the sister of Surya.
A widely told story from Munger says that Sita kept the Surya Shashthi vrat after returning to Ayodhya, offering arghya to the Sun on the banks of the Ganga.
In the Mahabharata, Karna, son of Surya, stood in water every day to worship the Sun — a practice many see reflected in Chhath’s arghya standing in the river.
Another tradition tells that Draupadi kept a vrat to Surya when the Pandavas lost their kingdom, and their fortunes were restored.
Message: Gratitude to the source of life, offered with purity and discipline, is itself the worship.
Chhath Puja puja vidhi
Before the puja
- 1Clean the house thoroughly; many families plaster the kitchen floor and use new clay stoves.
- 2Nahay-Khay: bathe in a river or pond and eat one sattvic meal of kaddu-bhaat.
- 3Kharna: fast through the day; after sunset, offer and eat rasiao and roti as prasad. The nirjala fast begins.
During the puja
- 1Prepare thekua and other prasad on Shashthi; arrange it with fruits in bamboo soop and daura.
- 2Walk to the ghat in the afternoon, carrying the daura on the head.
- 3Standing in water, offer arghya of milk and water to the setting sun, holding the soop of prasad.
- 4Return home or keep vigil at the ghat; many families light a kosi (lamps under sugarcane) at night.
- 5Before dawn, return to the ghat and offer arghya to the rising sun.
After the puja
- 1Break the 36-hour fast after the Usha Arghya with prasad and water.
- 2Distribute thekua and prasad to everyone at the ghat and at home.
Chhath Puja puja samagri
Essential
| Item | Quantity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Bamboo soop (winnowing basket) and daura (basket) | 2–5 soop, 1 daura | Holding the offerings |
| Thekua (wheat, jaggery and ghee) | As needed | The main prasad |
| Sugarcane with leaves | 5 | Offering and the kosi |
| Seasonal fruits — banana, coconut, citrus, water chestnut | As needed | Offering |
| Brass or copper lota | 1 | Arghya of milk and water |
| Diyas, ghee and wicks | Several | Evening and kosi lamps |
| Sindoor, turmeric and rice | A little of each | Puja |
Optional
| Item | Quantity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| New clothes for the vrati | — | Traditionally worn for the arghya |
Traditional / regional
| Item | Quantity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Gur and rice for rasiao | — | Kharna prasad |
| Kosi — earthen lamp stand under sugarcane | — | Night vigil in families that keep it |
Chhath Puja vrat rules
Before the vrat
- From Nahay-Khay, eat only sattvic food cooked without onion or garlic.
- Sleep on the floor and keep the kitchen pure, as tradition asks.
During the vrat
- After Kharna prasad, no food or water for about 36 hours, until after the Usha Arghya.
- The vrati should not eat anything before the prasad is offered.
Breaking the vrat
- Break the fast after the morning arghya with prasad and water, then a light meal.
Chhath is demanding. Those who cannot fast often help prepare the prasad and join the arghya; family members frequently share the vrat.
Do's and don'ts
✅ Do
- Keep everything used for the prasad clean and separate.
- Offer arghya facing the Sun, standing in water.
- Help other vratis at the ghat.
- Keep the ghats clean.
❌ Avoid
- Taste the prasad before it is offered.
- Use onion, garlic or salt in the prasad.
- Wear dirty or torn clothes for the puja.
- Go into deep water or ignore safety at crowded ghats.
Chhath Puja mantras
Surya arghya mantra
ॐ एहि सूर्य सहस्रांशो तेजोराशे जगत्पते।
अनुकम्पय मां भक्त्या गृहाणार्घ्यं दिवाकर॥
తెలుగు లిపిలో
ఓం ఏహి సూర్య సహస్రాంశో తేజోరాశే జగత్పతే।
అనుకమ్పయ మాం భక్త్యా గృహాణార్ఘ్యం దివాకర॥
oṃ ehi sūrya sahasrāṃśo tejorāśe jagatpate| anukampaya māṃ bhaktyā gṛhāṇārghyaṃ divākara||
Meaning: Come, O Sun of a thousand rays, mass of radiance, lord of the world — have compassion on me and accept this arghya offered with devotion, O maker of the day.
Surya mantra
ॐ घृणि सूर्याय नमः
తెలుగు లిపిలో
ఓం ఘృణి సూర్యాయ నమః
oṃ ghṛṇi sūryāya namaḥ
Meaning: Salutations to the radiant Sun.
Chhath Puja across India
Bihar
The heart of Chhath: families return home from across India, and every river, pond and ghat is decorated.
Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh
Kept with the same four days; many cities build artificial ponds for the arghya.
Nepal
Observed across the Terai (Madhesh), including at Janakpur.
Across India
Wherever Purvanchali families live — from Delhi and Mumbai to Kolkata — ghats and lakes fill with devotees for the two arghyas.
Perform Chhath Puja puja with Rutviju
A verified pandit can guide your Chhath Puja puja at home, or perform a puja in your name at a temple.
Sources & method
- Regional traditions of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, including the Munger tradition of Sita’s Surya Shashthi vrat.
- Mahabharata for Karna’s daily worship of Surya.
- Skanda Purana and regional texts on Shashthi Devi.
Dates and muhurtams on this page are calculated for Patna from the positions of the Sun and Moon (Lahiri ayanamsa, IST). Printed panchangams can differ by a minute or two, and a few festivals are kept on different days in different traditions — follow your family's panchangam and pandit where they differ.
Frequently asked questions
When is Chhath Puja 2026?
Chhath Puja 2026 is on Sunday, 15 November 2026. Kartik Shukla Shashthi (Kartika Shukla Shashthi in the amanta calendar) runs from Sat, 14 Nov, 11:24 PM to Mon, 16 Nov, 02:02 AM, IST, as calculated for Patna.
Is the Chhath Puja date the same in every city?
Usually, but not always. Sunrise, sunset and moonrise differ from city to city, and the festival is kept on the day its tithi prevails at the right time of day, so the muhurtams — and occasionally the date — can change. Choose your city above to see local timings.
What time is the Chhath Sandhya Arghya?
At sunset on Shashthi; the Usha Arghya is at sunrise the next morning. Both depend on your city — the table above shows them.
Does Chhath need a pandit?
No — Chhath is traditionally performed by the vrati without a priest. A pandit can still guide families who are keeping it for the first time.
Can men keep the Chhath vrat?
Yes. While most vratis are women, many men also keep the Chhath fast.