Before sunrise, the banks of rivers, ponds, and other water bodies begin to look completely different. The darkness is slowly giving way to the first light of the morning, while devotees arrive carrying beautifully decorated bamboo baskets filled with fruits, sugarcane, thekua, and other offerings. Diyas flicker near the water, Chhath songs fill the air, and families stand together waiting for the first rays of the Sun.
This peaceful yet powerful atmosphere is one of the most memorable sights of Chhath Puja. The festival is not celebrated through grand decorations or elaborate temple rituals alone. Its beauty lies in the simplicity and discipline of devotees who offer prayers to Surya Dev, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya with deep faith and devotion.
Chhath Puja is a four-day festival, with each day having its own rituals and significance. The most important moments come when devotees offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting Sun and Usha Arghya to the rising Sun.
Chhath Puja 2026 Date and Important Timings
- Nahay Khay: Friday, November 13, 2026
- Kharna / Lohanda: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Sandhya Arghya: Sunday, November 15, 2026
- Usha Arghya: Monday, November 16, 2026
- Main Chhath Puja Tithi: Shukla Paksha Shashthi
- Hindu Month: Kartik
- Main Puja Day: Sunday, November 15, 2026
The exact sunrise and sunset times for Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya vary by city. All devotees should check their local Panchang before
What is Chhath Puja? And regional importance
Devotees celebrate Chhath Puja, an ancient Hindu festival that they dedicate primarily to Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya. Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Nepal especially associate themselves with this festival, although devotees now celebrate the festival in many parts of India and around the world.
The festival is a form of gratitude towards the Sun, which is traditionally regarded as the source of light, energy, and life. Devotees pray for the health, prosperity, happiness, and well-being of their families.
Unlike many other festivals, Chhath places a strong emphasis on purity, discipline, fasting, nature, and direct worship of the Sun. Devotees commonly perform rituals near rivers, ponds, or other clean water bodies, making water an important part of the celebration.
Story behind Chhath Puja
The central idea behind Chhath Puja is gratitude. Devotees express their thanks to Surya Dev for sustaining life and seek blessings for their families and loved ones.
The festival is also associated with Chhathi Maiya, who is revered as a protective mother figure in Chhath traditions. Devotees pray to her for the well-being of children, family prosperity, and protection. The strict rituals also give Chhath a strong spiritual dimension. Fasting, cleanliness, preparing offerings, and spending time in prayer encourage devotees to practise self-discipline and devotion.
Chhath Puja 2026: Four Days of the Festival
Chhath Puja is not a single-day celebration. Its rituals unfold over four days, with each stage preparing devotees for the next.
Day 1: Nahay Khay
Nahay Khay marks the beginning of Chhath Puja. Devotees take a ritual bath, clean their homes and surroundings, and prepare a simple, pure meal. The food is prepared with great care, often using traditional utensils and ingredients. The devotee, known as the vrati, eats the meal as part of beginning the Chhath observance. The day represents purification and preparation for the demanding rituals that follow.
Day 2: Kharna or Lohanda
The second day is known as Kharna, also called Lohanda in some traditions. The vrati observes a day-long fast and breaks it after sunset. A traditional offering of jaggery-based kheer, often prepared with rice and milk, is made along with other foods. After the offering, the prasad is distributed among family members and others. After Kharna, devotees traditionally begin the rigorous fast that continues through the evening Arghya and until the morning Arghya.
Day 3: Sandhya Arghya
The third day is the most visually striking part of Chhath Puja. In the evening, devotees make their way to a riverbank, pond, or other water body carrying decorated soops or bamboo baskets filled with offerings. As the sun begins to set, devotees stand in the water and offer Arghya to the setting sun. Fruits, sugarcane, thekua, diyas, and other traditional offerings are presented while prayers are offered to Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya. The atmosphere during Sandhya Arghya is filled with devotional songs, prayers, lamps, and the sight of families standing together by the water.
Day 4: Usha Arghya
The final day begins before sunrise. Devotees return to the water body and wait for the first rays of the sun.As the sun rises, they offer the Usha Arghya, the final offering of the Chhath Puja. This marks the completion of the main vrat. After offering Arghya and prayers, devotees break their fast and distribute Chhath prasad among family members, friends, and the community.
Chhath Puja Samagri and Prasad
The preparation of offerings is an important part of Chhath. Traditional Chhath Puja samagri includes bamboo soop or baskets, fruits, sugarcane, coconuts, bananas, diyas, flowers, incense, and other puja items. Among the most well-known Chhath prasad is Thekua, a traditional sweet made from wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee. Families and regions also prepare kheer, fruits, and other homemade offerings according to their traditions. They prepare the food with particular attention to cleanliness and purity because they first present the offerings to Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya before distributing them as prasad.
Chhath Puja Story and Mythological Significance
Several traditional stories are associated with Chhath Puja. One popular tradition connects the festival with Karna, the son of Surya Dev in the Mahabharata. People believe that Karna worshipped the Sun with great devotion and offered prayers while standing in water. Another tradition connects Chhath with Draupadi and the Pandavas, who, according to some traditions, observed Sun worship during their period of hardship.These stories vary across communities, but they share a common theme: devotion to the Sun, faith during difficult times, and prayers for prosperity and well-being.
Significance of Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja combines religious devotion with a deep connection to nature. The Sun, water, earth, fruits, grains, and other natural elements all become part of the worship. The festival also highlights the values of discipline, simplicity, cleanliness, gratitude, and community. Devotees willingly follow demanding rituals and fasting practices as an expression of their faith.
Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of Chhath is that the prayers are offered in the open, directly facing the setting and rising Sun. There is no elaborate setting required. A clean water body, traditional offerings, a diya, and sincere devotion become enough to create a deeply spiritual atmosphere.
The Spirit of Chhath Puja
As the first rays of the morning Sun appear on the final day, devotees raise their baskets and offer Arghya with folded hands. The long days of preparation, fasting, prayer, and discipline finally come together in that quiet moment.
Chhath Puja reminds us to be grateful for the natural forces that sustain life and to value health, family, faith, and community. Whether celebrated on the banks of the Ganga, at a local ghat, or in a simple setting far from home, the essence of Chhath remains the same: devotion to Surya Dev, reverence for nature, and heartfelt prayers for the well-being of loved ones.