Chhath Puja 2026 in the UK: 13 to 16 November, Sandhya and Usha Arghya Times for London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow

Quick answer: Chhath Puja 2026 in the UK runs from Friday 13 to Monday 16 November, the same days as India. Sandhya Arghya is at sunset on Sunday 15 November (London 4:11 PM) and Usha Arghya at sunrise on Monday 16 November (London 7:20 AM).

Last updated: 10 October 2026. Dates and times are from the Drik Panchang Chhath calendar set to each UK city. Earlier versions of this page gave approximate times; the table below replaces them.

The Purvanchali community in Britain, families with roots in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, has grown quickly with students and professionals in London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester and Scotland. Some gather at a riverside, lake or community venue arranged by a local association; many keep Chhath at home in a garden pool or tub. This guide gives you the Drik Panchang times for five cities, the four days in order, and advice on doing it safely in a British November. For the full story and meaning, read our Chhath Puja 2026 complete guide.

Chhath Puja 2026 dates in the UK

Source: Drik Panchang Chhath calendar for London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, which match India's dates (Drik, Patna and New Delhi).

Arghya times for London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow

All times are local GMT, from Drik Panchang. Sunset is almost the same across Britain, but sunrise is nearly 35 minutes later in Glasgow than in London, which is useful if your family is split between cities. For other towns, open the Drik calendar and choose your town.

The arghya itself is short. Be at the water 30 to 45 minutes before sunset on Sunday, so that the soop is arranged and the vrati is ready as the sun nears the horizon. On grey days the sun may not be visible; families offer arghya at the published time.

Why the times feel so early

• British Summer Time ended on Sunday 25 October 2026, so clocks are an hour behind where they were in early October.
• By mid-November, London has under nine hours of daylight. Sandhya Arghya at about 4:10 PM means leaving home soon after lunch on Sunday.
• Usha Arghya after 7:20 AM in England and close to 8:00 AM in Glasgow gives a little more time on Monday morning, but it is a working and school day.
• India is five and a half hours ahead of the UK in November. When it is Sandhya Arghya at about 5:00 PM in Patna, it is about 11:30 AM in London.

Where British families keep Chhath

• Community gatherings. Associations of families from Bihar and Jharkhand in several UK cities arrange a permitted riverside, lake or indoor pool venue each year. Ask your local association or temple; we do not list venues because they change from year to year.
• Garden pool or tub. A clean paddling pool in the garden, facing south-west for the setting sun and south-east for the rising sun, is the most common home option.
• Indoors. In heavy rain or frost, some devotees stand in a tub of water inside the house, facing a window towards the sun. It is accepted as a sincere substitute.
• Temples. Some Hindu temples allow a small Chhath gathering. Check announcements after Diwali.

If you plan to use a public lake, park or riverbank, contact the local council or landowner. Many sites need permission for groups, do not allow open flames, and expect you to take every flower, peel and plate home.

Cold-water safety in a British November

• Water in British rivers and lakes is cold in November. Keep standing time short and stay ankle or knee deep.
• Do not use tidal rivers or fast-flowing water. The Thames and other tidal rivers have strong currents and steep, slippery banks.
• Keep a warm coat on until the arghya, then change into dry clothes straight away. A flask of warm water is useful for others; the vrati is still fasting.
• The nirjala fast lasts from Saturday night until Monday morning. Elderly devotees, pregnant women and anyone with a medical condition should take medical advice; a family member can stand in the water instead.
• Use diyas in a metal tray or sand, away from dry leaves and clothing.

The four days, step by step

Friday 13 November: Nahay Khay

The vrati bathes, the house and kitchen are cleaned, and one meal without onion or garlic is eaten, traditionally lauki (bottle gourd), chana dal and rice cooked in ghee. Many families keep separate utensils for Chhath.

Saturday 14 November: Lohanda and Kharna

The vrati fasts during the day. After sunset (about 4:13 PM in London) she or he prepares kheer with jaggery, roti and banana, offers them to Chhathi Maiya, and eats this prasad. Family and friends receive prasad too. The nirjala fast, without food or water, then begins.

Sunday 15 November: Sandhya Arghya

Thekua, fruits, sugarcane, coconut and a diya are arranged in the soop and daura (bamboo baskets). At the water, the vrati offers arghya to the setting sun, pouring water or milk from a lota or raising the soop. Chhath songs are sung, and the family keeps the diyas burning through the evening at home.

Monday 16 November: Usha Arghya and Parana

Before dawn the family returns to the water. As the sun rises the vrati offers arghya, prays for the family, and shares prasad. The fast is then broken with prasad, a little ginger and water, and a light meal.

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 are an equally loved part of the evening; sing what your family sings. Learn more about how to offer arghya to the sun.

Prasad and samagri in Britain

Jaggery, ghee, wheat flour, coconut and bananas are easy to find at South Asian grocers in every large British city. Sugarcane and bamboo soop are harder; some grocers stock them in the week after Diwali, and community groups sometimes order in bulk. A brass or steel plate can stand in for the soop. Thekua keeps well, so many families fry it on Saturday after Kharna. See our Chhath prasad recipes.

Students and first-year families in the UK

Many young people from Bihar and Jharkhand now keep their first Chhath away from home at a British university or in a new job. A few practical points:

• University halls and many rented flats do not allow candles or open flames. Use an LED diya indoors and keep the real diya for the outdoor arghya.
• Ask a friend to keep you company at the water at dusk and dawn, especially on an unfamiliar riverbank in the dark.
• If you cannot keep the full nirjala fast while working or studying, many families encourage a simpler observance: Kharna prasad, an arghya at sunset and sunrise, and the songs. Speak to your elders.
• Join a video call with home at the time of the evening arghya in India. In mid-November that is around late morning in the UK, so your family can share their ghat with you before your own Sandhya Arghya in the afternoon.

Even a small observance in a shared kitchen, with thekua made by hand and an arghya at a quiet pond, keeps the thread of the festival unbroken.

Chhath 2026 elsewhere

The same four days apply in the USA, Canada, Australia, the UAE and most of Europe. See Chhath Puja in the USA, Canada, Australia and the UAE, Europe city by city, and New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and South Africa, where New Zealand is a day later. For family in India, see arghya times for Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and Delhi.

For all November dates in Britain, see our November 2026 Hindu festivals in the UK.

Frequently asked questions

When is Chhath Puja 2026 in the UK?

Drik Panchang gives the same four days as India: Nahay Khay on Friday 13 November, Lohanda and Kharna on Saturday 14, Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 and Usha Arghya with parana on Monday 16 November 2026.

What time is Sandhya Arghya in London on 15 November 2026?

Drik Panchang gives London sunset at 4:11 PM on Sunday 15 November. Usha Arghya is at sunrise on Monday 16 November, 7:20 AM.

Why is Chhath arghya so early in the UK?

British clocks went back to GMT on Sunday 25 October 2026, and mid-November days are short. Sunset is between about 4:08 and 4:15 PM across Great Britain, so the Sunday ghat should be ready by about 3:30 PM.

Is the UK date different from India this year?

No. For Chhath 2026 Drik Panchang lists London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow on the same dates as India. Bhai Dooj, a week earlier, does differ: Tuesday 10 November in the UK and Wednesday 11 November in India.

Can I do Chhath at home in the UK?

Yes. A clean paddling pool or large tub in the garden or indoors, a small vedi beside it and the soop with prasad are enough. Offer arghya at your town's sunset and sunrise.

How cold is the water for Chhath in Britain?

Rivers and lakes in Britain are cold in mid-November. Keep time in the water very short, stand only ankle or knee deep, change into dry warm clothes immediately and never enter deep or fast-flowing water such as the tidal Thames.

Editor's note (10 October 2026)

This guide was rewritten on 10 October 2026 with times taken directly from Drik Panchang's Chhath calendar for each UK city, replacing approximate figures in the earlier version. We do not list venues or events, which change every year; please check with your local association, temple or council. Family customs vary, and your family's tradition comes first.

Related guides

• Chhath Puja 2026: dates, arghya timings and full vidhi
• Surya and Navagraha temples in the UK and Europe
• Surya puja at home: a guide for NRIs
• Bhai Dooj 2026 in the UK: Tuesday 10 November