Festival
Chhath Puja 2026
Also known as Chhath · Surya Shashthi · Dala Chhath
Chhath Puja 2026 at a glance
Chhath Puja 2026 is on Sunday 15 November. Devotees offer *arghya* (an offering of water and gifts) to the setting sun that evening, and again to the rising sun the following dawn.
When it falls
Kartik Shukla Shashthi
- 2026 · Sunday, 15 November 2026
- 2027 · Thursday, 4 November 2027
Significance
Chhath Puja takes its name from chhath, the Hindi and Maithili word for six, the tithi (lunar day) on which its main rituals fall. It is one of the oldest sun-worship traditions in the subcontinent, and it stands apart from almost every other Hindu festival in one striking way: it has no temple at its centre. The river bank, the pond, the sea shore — open water under an open sky — is the only sanctified space it needs.
The festival is an act of gratitude to Surya, the sun, understood here not as a distant body but as the direct source of life, health and energy. Alongside Surya, devotees honour Chhathi Maiya, also known as Shashthi Devi (the goddess of the sixth day), a maternal deity who is believed to guard children and bless families with well-being.
Several stories circulate in the tradition. One tells of Draupadi performing these rites for the welfare of the Pandavas during their exile. Another speaks of Karna, son of Surya, who stood in water and offered to the sun daily. A third places the origin with Rama and Sita, who are said to have observed Chhath in Ayodhya on their return from Lanka.
At its heart, Chhath is a vow of austerity freely taken — usually by women, though men keep it too — in thanks already given, not in petition for something yet to come.
How it’s observed
Chhath unfolds over four days. The first day, Nahay Khay (bathe and eat), begins with a ritual bath in a river or pond, after which the vratin (the devotee keeping the vow) eats a single simple meal — usually rice, lentils and bottle gourd cooked without garlic or onion. The second day, Kharna or Lohanda, is a full fast until evening, when kheer (rice pudding with jaggery) and chapati are prepared, offered, and then shared with the family.
The third evening is the festival's heart: the vratin stands in open water as the sun sets and offers Sandhya Arghya — river water, milk, fruits, sugarcane, coconuts and thekua (a wheat and jaggery biscuit) held out in woven bamboo baskets called soop or daura. The following morning, before dawn, the whole family returns to the water for Usha Arghya, the sunrise offering, which closes the fast.
In the diaspora, families gather at local rivers, lakes or lidos. In cities without open water, community groups arrange pooled spaces. The bamboo baskets and thekua are prepared at home, and the singing of Chhath geet (folk songs) carries the festival's atmosphere wherever the community gathers.
The timing, explained
Chhath Puja's main day falls on Kartik Shukla Shashthi — the sixth day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the lunar month of Kartik. This almanac follows the Amanta convention, in which months run from new moon to new moon; under the Purnimanta reckoning used in parts of north India, the same day is also called Kartik Shukla Shashthi, so the name is consistent.
The date is determined by sunrise: the day on which Shashthi is running at sunrise is the day the festival is kept. Because the four-day arc begins two days before Shashthi (on Chaturthi) and ends with the sunrise of Saptami, families plan around the full span even though the almanac marks the sixth day as the festival's date.
Questions people ask
When does Chhath Puja usually fall?
Usually in October or November, about six days after Diwali. It follows the lunar calendar: Kartik Shukla Shashthi, the sixth day of the bright fortnight after the Diwali new moon. The exact date shifts each year.
What is arghya and why is it offered twice?
Arghya is a reverential offering — water, milk, fruits, sugarcane and sweets held out in a bamboo basket. It is offered once to the setting sun (Sandhya Arghya) and once to the rising sun (Usha Arghya), honouring both the departure and return of light.
Who keeps the Chhath vow?
Traditionally women, but men keep it too. The vratin (the person who has taken the vow) observes a strict fast for roughly 36 hours, stands in open water, and offers arghya. Other family members accompany, sing and support but do not need to keep the full fast.
Is Chhath Puja only a Bihar and UP festival?
It originated in the Mithila and Bhojpur regions — Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh — and is most deeply rooted there. Through migration it is now widely observed in Delhi, Mumbai, Mauritius, Suriname, the UK, the US, Canada and beyond, wherever Bihari and Purvanchali diaspora communities have settled.
What is thekua and why is it important?
Thekua is a baked or fried biscuit made from whole wheat flour, jaggery and ghee, shaped with a carved mould. It is the festival's signature offering to the sun and to Chhathi Maiya, and families take great care preparing it fresh at home.
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