Chhath Puja 2026 and 2027: date, muhurat and meaning
Chhath Puja 2026
15 November 2026
Sunday
12 days to go
Chhath Puja 2027
4 November 2027
Thursday
366 days to go
Quick answer
Chhath Puja 2026 falls on Sunday, 15 November 2026 (Delhi). Chhath Puja is a four-day festival of the Sun god and Chhathi Maiya, marked by a strict waterless fast and offerings to the setting and rising sun from riverbanks and ponds.
Key takeaways
- 2026: Sunday, 15 November 2026
- 2027: Thursday, 4 November 2027
- Each year's section explains which rule gave the date and how the muhurat was cut to the tithi.
- All times are for Delhi; abroad the tithi follows local time, so the date can differ by a day.
What is Chhath Puja?
Chhath is the great festival of Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Terai of Nepal, now celebrated wherever families from these regions have settled, from Delhi and Mumbai to New Jersey and Mauritius. Its main day is Kartik Shukla Shashthi, the sixth day of the bright fortnight. Devotees worship Surya, the Sun, and Chhathi Maiya, a mother goddess believed to protect children.
Chhath is unusual among major festivals in that it honours the setting sun as well as the rising one. There is no idol and no priest is required; the devotee stands in the water and thanks the source of all life directly. Folk tradition links the worship to Sita in the Ramayana and to Kunti and Draupadi in the Mahabharata, all said to have prayed to the Sun.
How Chhath Puja is observed
Day one is Nahay-Khay ('bathe and eat'), when the devotee bathes and eats a simple meal of pumpkin, rice and chana dal. Day two is Kharna: after fasting all day, they eat a prasad of jaggery kheer and roti in the evening, then begin a nirjala fast, without food or water, lasting about a day and a half. On day three, Sandhya Arghya, offerings are made to the setting sun; on day four, Usha Arghya, to the rising sun.
Bamboo winnowing baskets (soop) are loaded with thekua, a crunchy jaggery-wheat sweet, along with bananas, sugarcane, coconut and seasonal fruit. Whole neighbourhoods clean the ghats, or river steps, together, and Chhath folk songs fill the air. Where there is no river, families build a small pool on the roof or in the yard. Communities in the US, UK and the Gulf gather at lakes and beaches. Elderly, pregnant or unwell people often keep a lighter fast.
Chhath Puja 2026: date and muhurat (Delhi)
Sunday, 15 November 2026
Shashthi (Shukla Paksha) is present at sunrise on this day (udaya tithi).
- Tithi
- 14 Nov, 11:24 PM – 16 Nov, 2:01 AM
- Day 1: Nahay-Khay
- Friday, 13 November 2026
- Day 2: Kharna (sunset)
- 14 Nov, 5:28 PM
- Day 3: Sandhya arghya (sunset)
- 5:28 PM
- Day 4: Usha arghya (sunrise)
- 16 Nov, 6:44 AM
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:44 AM / 5:28 PM
- Rahu kaal (this day)
- 4:07 PM – 5:28 PM
For Chhath, the moments that matter are sunset and sunrise. The evening arghya (water offering) on Shashthi is made as the sun goes down, and the morning arghya on Saptami as it rises, which completes the fast. So rather than a long muhurat window, what devotees need is the exact local sunset and sunrise time for the ghat where they will stand.
Chhath Puja 2027: date and muhurat (Delhi)
Thursday, 4 November 2027
Shashthi (Shukla Paksha) is present at sunrise on this day (udaya tithi).
- Tithi
- 3 Nov, 7:32 PM – 4 Nov, 9:38 PM
- Day 1: Nahay-Khay
- Tuesday, 2 November 2027
- Day 2: Kharna (sunset)
- 3 Nov, 5:35 PM
- Day 3: Sandhya arghya (sunset)
- 5:34 PM
- Day 4: Usha arghya (sunrise)
- 5 Nov, 6:36 AM
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:35 AM / 5:34 PM
- Rahu kaal (this day)
- 1:27 PM – 2:49 PM
Chhath Puja wishes
May Chhathi Maiya bless your family with health and contentment, and may the rising sun bring new light to your life. Warm wishes on Chhath Puja.Send this on WhatsApp
More wishes will be added here soon.
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Frequently asked questions
What time is Chhath Puja arghya given?
There are two arghyas. Sandhya Arghya is offered to the setting sun on the evening of Shashthi, and Usha Arghya to the rising sun the next morning. Devotees reach the ghat well before sunset and before dawn. Because these moments depend on local sunrise and sunset, check the times calculated for your own city or the place where you will offer arghya.
What are the four days of Chhath Puja?
Day one, Nahay-Khay, begins with a holy bath and a simple meal of pumpkin and rice. Day two, Kharna, ends a day-long fast with jaggery kheer, after which the waterless fast starts. Day three is Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun, and day four is Usha Arghya to the rising sun, followed by parana, the breaking of the fast.
What is thekua and how is it made?
Thekua is the signature Chhath prasad, a firm, crunchy biscuit of wholewheat flour, jaggery and ghee, often flavoured with fennel and grated coconut. The stiff dough is pressed into a carved wooden mould to give it a pattern, then fried slowly in ghee until golden. It is made with great attention to purity, often on a freshly cleaned stove.
Why is the setting sun worshipped in Chhath?
Chhath gives thanks to the Sun at both ends of the day. In popular belief the evening offering honours Pratyusha, the sun's last ray, while the morning offering honours Usha, the first light of dawn. Together they express gratitude for a full cycle of life and harvest, and a reminder that what sets also rises again.
Can men observe the Chhath fast?
Yes. Most vratis, those who keep the fast, are women, but many men also observe the full Chhath vrat with the same rules. Family members who do not fast join in by cleaning the ghat, carrying the heavy soop baskets, cooking prasad and singing. In Bihar, helping a vrati in any way is itself considered a blessing.
How is Chhath celebrated in the USA and UK?
Bihari and Purvanchali communities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Mauritius and the Gulf organise Chhath at lakes, rivers, beaches or community ponds, often with local permits. Volunteers set up ghats, lighting and transport for devotees. Where open water is not possible, families build a small pool in the backyard and offer arghya there.