Chhath Puja: Dates, Sandhya Arghya and Puja Vidhi
Chhath Puja is a four-day Sun worship festival. In 2026 it runs November 15-18, with the main Sandhya Arghya on November 17.
2026 guide
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What are the Chhath Puja 2026 dates?
Chhath Puja 2026: Nahay Khay (first day) - October 22, 2026; Kharna (second day, evening puja) - October 23; Sandhya Arghya (main day, evening sunset offering) - October 24; Usha Arghya (fourth day, morning sunrise offering) - October 25, 2026.
What is Chhath Puja and what god is worshipped?
Chhath Puja is a four-day festival dedicated to Surya Dev (Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya (the sixth-day goddess, a form of Durga/Shakti). It is the only major Hindu festival where the setting sun is worshipped, in addition to the rising sun. The festival's strict fasting, cleanliness, and devotion make it a rigorous but deeply meaningful observance.
What states celebrate Chhath Puja the most?
Chhath Puja is the most important festival of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern UP. It is also celebrated by Bihari communities in Delhi, Mumbai, and across the diaspora. In recent years, Chhath celebrations have spread to all major Indian cities due to migration. In Mauritius and other diaspora communities, Chhath Puja is equally significant.
What is the Chhath Puja Nahay Khay ritual?
Nahay Khay (Day 1) means 'bathe and eat.' Devotees (Vrattis) take a holy bath in a river, pond, or lake, fill clean water to bring home, and cook simple food (typically bottle gourd/chana daal rice) in clean copper or bronze vessels. The family eats only after the Vratti has eaten. This marks the beginning of the 36-hour fast.
What is Kharna and what is eaten on it?
Kharna (Day 2) is when Vrattis eat their last meal before the 36-hour fast. They prepare Rasiao (kheer with jaggery) and roti on an earthen stove with mango wood fuel. This food is offered to Chhathi Maiya and then eaten by the family. After Kharna, nothing is consumed (not even water) until Usha Arghya on Day 4.
What is the Arghya offering in Chhath Puja?
Arghya means 'offering.' Sandhya Arghya (Day 3) is offered to the setting sun at the water's edge: Vrattis stand in knee-deep water facing the setting sun, holding a bamboo basket (soop) filled with seasonal fruits, sugarcane, thekua (sweet), coconut, and flowers, and offer it with prayers. Usha Arghya (Day 4) repeats this at sunrise. Both are deeply moving spectacles.
What is Thekua and why is it essential to Chhath?
Thekua (also Khajuri) is the quintessential Chhath Puja sweet: a deep-fried cookie made from wheat flour, jaggery, and coconut or dry fruits. It is always made at home for Chhath; store-bought thekua is not used for offering. The homemade thekua represents purity and is the primary offering in the Chhath soop (bamboo basket).
Is Chhath Puja connected to solar worship in the Vedas?
Yes, Surya worship is one of the oldest Vedic traditions. The Rigveda contains many hymns to Surya. Chhath Puja's tradition of standing in water while facing the sun at sunrise and sunset resonates with ancient solar rituals. The worship of Surya's female counterpart, Chhathi Maiya (personification of the Sun's energy), represents the non-dual view of solar energy as both masculine and feminine.