Chhath Puja 2026: Dates, Arghya Timings & Full Vidhi
Chhath Puja 2026: verified four-day dates (Nahay Khay 13, Kharna 14, Sandhya Arghya 15, Usha Arghya 16 Nov), city-wise arghya timings, vidhi, samagri and FAQ.
Chhath Puja 2026: verified four-day dates (Nahay Khay 13, Kharna 14, Sandhya Arghya 15, Usha Arghya 16 Nov), city-wise arghya timings, vidhi, samagri and FAQ.
Quick answer: Chhath Puja 2026 runs Friday 13 to Monday 16 November — Nahay Khay (13th), Kharna (14th), Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun (Sun 15th), and Usha Arghya to the rising sun (Mon 16th). The fast is broken only after the morning arghya. Find your city’s exact sunset and sunrise times in the table below.
Chhath Puja is the great four-day festival of Surya (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, observed with a rigorous 36-hour nirjala fast — most fervently across Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, and now by their diaspora worldwide. Its two defining moments are the Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun and the Usha Arghya to the rising sun, offered standing in water at a ghat. This guide gives the verified 2026 dates, the day-by-day vidhi, a city-wise arghya-timing table, the samagri list and the story of Chhathi Maiya.
Chhath Puja 2026 — the four days
| Day | Date 2026 | Ritual |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Nahay Khay | Fri, 13 Nov | Holy bath; one sattvic meal (often lauki-bhaat). Purity begins. |
| 2 · Kharna (Lohanda) | Sat, 14 Nov | Day-long fast, broken after sunset with kheer-roti prasad; then the 36-hour nirjala fast begins. |
| 3 · Sandhya Arghya | Sun, 15 Nov | Evening arghya — offering to the SETTING sun, standing in water at the ghat. |
| 4 · Usha Arghya (Paran) | Mon, 16 Nov | Morning arghya to the RISING sun; the fast is broken (parana). |
City-wise Sandhya & Usha Arghya times (India)
Sandhya Arghya is at sunset on 15 Nov; Usha Arghya at sunrise on 16 Nov. Times are approximate and local — confirm with your local panchang on the day.
| City | Sandhya (sunset, 15 Nov) | Usha (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 |
Day-by-day vidhi
- Nahay Khay: the vratin bathes (traditionally in the Ganga) and eats one pure meal — often lauki (bottle gourd) with rice and chana dal — cooked without onion or garlic.
- Kharna: a full day’s fast, broken after sunset with kheer (rice-jaggery pudding) and roti offered to the Sun. After Kharna, the 36-hour waterless fast begins.
- Sandhya Arghya: at sunset, devotees stand in the river or a water body and offer arghya — water plus a soop laden with thekua, fruits and sugarcane — to the setting sun.
- Usha Arghya (Parana): before sunrise the family returns to the ghat; arghya is offered to the rising sun and the fast is finally broken.
Samagri (puja items) checklist
- Bamboo soop (winnow) and daura/baskets
- Thekua (the signature Chhath prasad) and rice laddus
- Sugarcane (whole, with leaves), bananas, coconut, seasonal fruits
- Sindoor, turmeric, diya, incense and a kalash
- New cotton clothes; a vedi (raised platform) by the water
Significance & Chhathi Maiya
Chhath honours Surya, the visible source of life, and Chhathi Maiya (associated with Devi Shashthi), the goddess who protects children and grants well-being. The vrat is famed for its discipline and equality — there is no priest and no idol; the devotee offers directly to the Sun, in public, at the water’s edge. Folk tradition links Chhath to Karna, son of Surya, and to Draupadi and the Pandavas, who are said to have observed it.
Chhath abroad — find your city
Observing Chhath overseas? The arghya is always offered at your own city’s sunset and sunrise. See our region guides: Chhath in the USA (use the USA city guide), the UK, and Canada, Australia & the UAE.
Related reading
- how to worship Surya Dev
- Aditya Hridayam
- Surya Grahan 12 August 2026
- Diwali 2026
- Hindu Festival Calendar 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Chhath Puja in 2026?
Chhath Puja 2026 is observed over four days: Nahay Khay on Friday 13 November, Kharna on Saturday 14 November, Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 November, and Usha Arghya (parana) on Monday 16 November.
What time is Sandhya Arghya on 15 November 2026?
Sandhya Arghya is offered at sunset. In Patna it is about 5:02 PM, Delhi 5:29 PM, Kolkata 4:54 PM and Varanasi 5:11 PM on 15 November 2026 — always confirm your city’s exact sunset locally.
What time is Usha Arghya on 16 November 2026?
Usha Arghya is offered at sunrise on 16 November — about 6:08 AM in Patna, 6:45 AM in Delhi and 5:51 AM in Kolkata. The 36-hour fast is broken after this arghya.
How long is the Chhath fast?
After Kharna (the evening of the second day), vratins keep a roughly 36-hour nirjala (waterless) fast through Sandhya Arghya and only break it after Usha Arghya the next morning.
What is thekua?
Thekua is the signature Chhath prasad — a deep-fried sweet made of wheat flour, jaggery and ghee, offered in the soop along with fruits and sugarcane.
Can Chhath be done without a river?
Yes. Where no river is accessible — common abroad — devotees use a clean pond, a backyard pool, or even a large tub of clean water, and offer arghya to the sun at the correct local time.
