Chhath Puja 2026 in New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and South Africa: Dates, a Day Later in NZ, and Arghya Times for 8 Cities

Quick answer: Chhath Puja 2026 is on 13 to 16 November in Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and South Africa, with Sandhya Arghya at sunset on Sunday 15 November and Usha Arghya at sunrise on Monday 16 November. In New Zealand Drik Panchang moves it one day later, 14 to 17 November: Sandhya Arghya on Monday 16 November (Auckland 8:09 PM) and Usha Arghya on Tuesday 17 November (Auckland 6:02 AM).

Last updated: 10 October 2026. Dates and times are from the Drik Panchang Chhath calendar set to each city.

Chhath is best known on the ghats of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, but families from those regions and from Nepal's Terai now keep it far from the Ganga. In Singapore and Malaysia, many are professionals and their families; in New Zealand and South Africa, newer arrivals have joined older communities; and in Mauritius, where many families trace their ancestry to the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of India, the festival connects with a long heritage. This guide gives the 2026 dates, Drik Panchang sunset and sunrise for eight cities, and practical tips for each country. For the meaning and vidhi, read our Chhath Puja 2026 complete guide.

Chhath Puja 2026 dates by country

Source: Drik Panchang Chhath calendar for Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Port Louis, Durban, Johannesburg, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. India's dates are from Drik for Patna and New Delhi.

Why New Zealand is a day later

Chhath is fixed by the lunar calendar: Sandhya Arghya is on Kartika Shukla Shashthi, the sixth lunar day of Kartika's bright fortnight. A lunar day begins and ends at the same instant all over the world, but local clocks differ. New Zealand is seven and a half hours ahead of India in November, so the lunar day falls differently against the local calendar. Applying its rules to each city, Drik Panchang places the Shashthi day on Monday 16 November in New Zealand, while India, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and South Africa keep it on Sunday 15 November.

Some New Zealand groups choose to keep India's dates so that the whole family observes Chhath together. Others follow the local Drik calendar. Ask your samiti or temple which they are following, and whichever day you keep, offer arghya at your own local sunset and sunrise.

Arghya times for eight cities

New Zealand (Sandhya Monday 16, Usha Tuesday 17 November)

Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and South Africa (Sandhya Sunday 15, Usha Monday 16 November)

All times are local, from Drik Panchang. Close to the equator, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have almost the same sunset and sunrise all week. Durban's sunrise before 5 AM means a very early start on Monday.

Country notes

New Zealand

• Daylight saving gives long evenings: Sandhya Arghya is after 8 PM in all three cities. Monday is a working day, so many families gather after work.
• Usha Arghya on Tuesday is just before 6 AM. Pack the soop on Monday night.
• Coastal water in November can still be cool. Choose calm, sheltered beaches or lakes and stay shallow.
• Regional councils manage beaches, lakes and parks. Check rules on gatherings and flames, and leave no offerings behind.

Singapore

• Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 November at about 6:51 PM falls on a weekend evening.
• Beaches, parks and reservoirs are managed by public agencies with clear rules on swimming, fires and littering. Read them before planning a group arghya; many families keep Chhath in a tub at home or at a condominium pool with management's permission.
• In Singapore 15 November is also Skanda Sashti and Soora Samharam for Tamil Murugan devotees; temples around Serangoon Road will be busy.

Skanda Sashti details: Skanda Sashti 2026 in Singapore and Malaysia.

Malaysia

• Kuala Lumpur's sunset and sunrise are both just before 7 o'clock. November is in the rainy season on much of the peninsula; have an indoor plan.
• Rivers in cities can rise quickly after rain. Use a tub, pool or calm lake rather than a fast-flowing river.
• Families in Penang, Johor Bahru and other towns should check Drik for their own town; times differ by a few minutes.

Mauritius

• Mauritius has deep Bhojpuri roots, and Chhath sits alongside the island's many Hindu festivals.
• The Monday sunrise in Port Louis is at 5:22 AM. Lagoons are usually calm, but coral can be sharp and tides change; wear water shoes and stay shallow.

Related: how Mauritius celebrates Diwali.

South Africa

• Durban and Johannesburg have Sandhya Arghya around 6:30 PM on Sunday and Usha Arghya before 5:15 AM on Monday.
• Durban's beaches have strong currents in places. Use calm, safe water, stay ankle deep and keep children close.
• Inland, many Johannesburg families keep Chhath at home in a garden pool or tub.
• Chhath here is kept mainly by newer families from Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern UP and Nepal, alongside South Africa's long-established Hindu community.

Keeping in step with family in India

Chhath is a family festival, and many devotees abroad watch their relatives' ghat on a video call. India's Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 November is at about 5:01 PM in Patna (Drik). That is about 7:31 PM in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, 3:31 PM in Port Louis, 1:31 PM in Durban and Johannesburg, and 12:31 AM on Monday in New Zealand.

• In Singapore and Malaysia, your own Sandhya Arghya (about 6:51 to 6:57 PM) comes just before India's, so you can finish yours and then join the call.
• In Mauritius and South Africa, India's ghat is live in the afternoon, a few hours before your own sunset.
• In New Zealand, if you follow Drik's local dates, India's Usha Arghya on Monday 16 November at about 6:07 AM in Patna falls at about 1:37 PM in Auckland, hours before your own Sandhya Arghya that evening.

Never convert India's times to your own clock for the arghya itself. Each family offers arghya to the sun as it sets and rises where they are.

The four days, step by step

The order is the same everywhere; only the dates shift in New Zealand.

• Nahay Khay: the vrati bathes, the house and kitchen are cleaned, and one sattvic meal is eaten, traditionally lauki, chana dal and rice.
• Lohanda and Kharna: a fast through the day; after sunset, kheer with jaggery, roti and banana are offered to Chhathi Maiya and eaten as prasad. The nirjala fast, without food or water, begins.
• Sandhya Arghya: thekua, fruit, sugarcane, coconut and a diya are arranged in the soop and daura. At the water, the vrati offers arghya to the setting sun while the family sings Chhath songs.
• Usha Arghya and Parana: before dawn the family returns to the water. Arghya is offered to the rising sun, prasad is shared, and the fast is broken.

The nirjala fast is demanding, especially in tropical heat. Older devotees, pregnant women and anyone with a medical condition should consult a doctor. A family member can stand in the water on their behalf.

A simple Surya mantra

A short mantra many devotees repeat while offering arghya:

ॐ सूर्याय नमः॥

oṃ sūryāya namaḥ||

Meaning: "Om, salutations to Surya." Chhath songs in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi carry the heart of the festival; sing the ones your family knows. See also how to offer Surya arghya.

Prasad and samagri

Jaggery, ghee, wheat flour, coconut, bananas and sugarcane are generally easy to find in Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and Durban. New Zealand's Indian grocers stock most items, but bamboo soop can be scarce; a brass or steel plate is an accepted substitute. For thekua and kheer, see our Chhath prasad recipes.

Other countries

• Chhath Puja 2026 in the USA
• Chhath Puja 2026 in the UK
• Chhath Puja 2026 in Canada, Australia and the UAE
• Chhath Puja 2026 in Europe
• Chhath arghya times in Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and Delhi

Frequently asked questions

When is Chhath Puja 2026 in New Zealand?

Drik Panchang lists Chhath 2026 a day later in New Zealand than in India: Nahay Khay on Saturday 14 November, Kharna on Sunday 15, Sandhya Arghya on Monday 16 and Usha Arghya on Tuesday 17 November, for Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

What time is Sandhya Arghya in Auckland?

Drik Panchang gives Auckland sunset at 8:09 PM on Monday 16 November and sunrise for Usha Arghya at 6:02 AM on Tuesday 17 November.

When is Chhath Puja 2026 in Singapore and Malaysia?

On the same days as India: Nahay Khay on Friday 13, Kharna on Saturday 14, Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 (sunset 6:51 PM in Singapore, 6:57 PM in Kuala Lumpur) and Usha Arghya on Monday 16 November (sunrise 6:48 AM in Singapore, 6:59 AM in Kuala Lumpur), per Drik Panchang.

When is Chhath Puja 2026 in Mauritius and South Africa?

Also 13 to 16 November. Drik Panchang gives Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 November at 6:27 PM in Port Louis, 6:29 PM in Durban and 6:35 PM in Johannesburg, and Usha Arghya on Monday 16 November at 5:22 AM, 4:52 AM and 5:10 AM.

Our NZ group is keeping India's dates. Is that wrong?

No. Some diaspora groups prefer to keep the same calendar dates as family in India. Drik's local calendar puts New Zealand a day later. Both are sincere choices; follow your samiti or temple and offer arghya at your own local sunset and sunrise.

Can we offer arghya at a beach?

Many families use calm beaches, lakes or reservoirs where allowed. Check local rules first, stay in shallow and calm water, keep children close, avoid open flames where they are not permitted and take all offerings home.

Editor's note (10 October 2026)

This guide was published on 10 October 2026. All dates and sunrise and sunset times are from Drik Panchang's Chhath calendar for each named city. We do not list venues or events, which change every year; please check with your local samiti, temple or council. Family customs vary, and your family's tradition comes first.

Related guides

• Chhath Puja 2026: dates, arghya timings and full vidhi
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in Singapore
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in Malaysia
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in South Africa
• Hindus in New Zealand: community guide