Chhath Puja 2026
Chhath Puja 2026: dates, Kharna and arghya times
Chhath Puja runs from 13 to 16 November 2026, with the evening arghya on Sunday, 15 November. Here are the four days, arghya times for your city and the samagri list.
Chhath Puja 2026 dates
The four days of Chhath 2026
| Day | Date | Ritual | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Fri, 13 Nov | Nahay Khay | Holy bath, house cleaned; one satvik meal of kaddu-bhaat (lauki, chana dal and rice) cooked in ghee |
| Day 2 | Sat, 14 Nov | Kharna (Lohanda) | Day-long fast; in the evening gur ki kheer, roti and banana are offered and eaten as prasad; then the 36-hour nirjala fast begins |
| Day 3 | Sun, 15 Nov | Sandhya Arghya | Arghya to the setting sun at a river or pond with soop of thekua, fruits and sugarcane |
| Day 4 | Mon, 16 Nov | Usha Arghya and parana | Arghya to the rising sun, then the fast is broken with prasad |
Arghya times by city
| City | Sandhya Arghya (sunset, 15 Nov) | Usha Arghya (sunrise, 16 Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| Patna | about 5:00 PM | about 6:07 AM |
| Ranchi | about 5:03 PM | about 6:03 AM |
| Varanasi | about 5:09 PM | about 6:15 AM |
| Kolkata | about 4:52 PM | about 5:49 AM |
| Lucknow | about 5:15 PM | about 6:26 AM |
| New Delhi | 5:28 PM | about 6:44 AM |
| Mumbai | about 5:59 PM | about 6:46 AM |
| Bengaluru | about 5:49 PM | about 6:18 AM |
Times are calculated sunset and sunrise in IST and can differ by a minute or two from local panchangs. The arghya is offered as the sun touches the horizon, so reach the ghat early.
What Chhath Puja is
Chhath is dedicated to Surya, the Sun god, and Chhathi Maiya, worshipped as his sister and as a mother goddess who protects children. It is kept on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, six days after Diwali, mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Terai of Nepal, and by these communities wherever they live. It is one of the few Hindu festivals where the setting sun is worshipped as well as the rising sun.
The vrat is known for its discipline: the main fast after Kharna lasts about 36 hours without water, and the prasad is prepared with great care, often on a new clay stove with mango wood.
Chhath Puja samagri list
- Bamboo soop and daura (baskets)
- Thekua made with wheat flour, jaggery and ghee
- Sugarcane with leaves, bananas, coconut, sweet lime (gagal/nimbu), radish, ginger and turmeric plants, sweet potato, water chestnut (singhara)
- Rice laddoo (kasar), arwa rice, gur
- Diyas, ghee, sindoor, new clothes for the vrati, a copper or brass lota for arghya, milk
Frequently asked questions
When is Chhath Puja in 2026?
Chhath Puja 2026 runs from Friday 13 to Monday 16 November. The main day, with the evening arghya, is Sunday, 15 November.
What are the four days of Chhath 2026?
Nahay Khay on 13 November, Kharna on 14 November, Sandhya Arghya on 15 November and Usha Arghya with parana on 16 November.
What is the Sandhya Arghya time on 15 November 2026?
Arghya is offered to the setting sun. Sunset is around 5:00 PM in Patna and 5:28 PM in New Delhi on 15 November.
What is the Usha Arghya time on 16 November 2026?
Arghya is offered at sunrise on 16 November: around 6:07 AM in Patna and 6:44 AM in New Delhi.
When does Shashthi tithi begin and end?
Shashthi tithi begins at 11:23 PM on 14 November and ends at 2:00 AM on 16 November 2026 (IST).
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Last updated: 2 October 2026