Major Festival · Select a year for the Gregorian date
Chhath Puja: Sandhya Arghya Date, Four-Day Vidhi and Arghya Timings
Chhath is a four-day vrata to Surya and Chhathi Maiya. Select a year for Sandhya and Usha Arghya dates.
छठ पूजा · · Shukla Shashti
- Muhurat (2026)
- Sandhya Arghya: 05:59 PM | Usha Arghya: 06:44 AM (2026-10-17)
- Hindu month
- Kartika
- Regions
- Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal
- Deity
- Surya Bhagavan and Chhathi Maiya (Usha / Shashthi Devi)
Chhath Puja is one of the most rigorous Hindu observances, centred in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and among the diaspora from those regions (including Nepal’s Madhesh). Devotees thank Surya (the Sun) and Chhathi Maiya for life and progeny. The four days are Nahay Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya (offering to the setting Sun), and Usha Arghya (offering to the rising Sun). The vrat after Kharna is typically 36 hours without water until Usha Arghya prasad. Offerings (thekua, sugarcane, fruits) are carried in a bamboo soop. Observe river and ghat safety; never push into unsafe currents at dusk.
Chhath Puja four-day calendar
Work backwards from Shashthi. Sandhya Arghya on Friday, 16 October, 2026 is the public face of the festival. Nahay Khay is generally two days earlier, Kharna the day before, Sandhya Arghya on Friday, 16 October, 2026, and Usha Arghya at the following dawn. Exact civil dates for day 1–2 can shift if Kartika Shukla Chaturthi/Panchami timing is tight — follow a Bihar/UP Panchang, not a generic national list. Arghya timings for 2026: Sandhya Arghya: 05:59 PM | Usha Arghya: 06:44 AM (2026-10-17). Use the year selector to see any other calendar. Arghya is offered standing in water where it is safe, at sunset and sunrise, not at a convenient indoor time.
- Sandhya Arghya: Friday, 16 October, 2026.
- Usha Arghya: dawn of the following morning.
- Tithi of the main offering: Kartika Shukla Shashthi.
| Day | Name | Typical sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Nahay Khay | 12 November — ritual bath, satvik meal |
| Day 2 | Kharna | 13 November — evening prasad, then nirjala |
| Day 3 | Sandhya Arghya | 14 November — setting-sun offering |
| Day 4 | Usha Arghya | 15 November dawn — rising-sun offering, parana |
Rituals, thekua and ghat discipline
Prepare thekua (wheat jaggery fried offering) in a clean kitchen without onion or garlic. Sugarcane, sweet lime, banana and coconut go in the soop. Women (and men who take the vrata) stand in water to offer arghya: milk, water, and the soop raised toward the Sun. Maintain silence and cleanliness on the ghat. Plastic decorations have no place in the offering. After Usha Arghya, prasad is shared and the fast is broken. Rest; 36-hour nirjala followed by a dawn river visit is physically demanding.
Significance and where it is a holiday
Chhath is older than many medieval temple cults in its folk form: it is a direct offering to the visible Sun, without a murti as the primary focus. Bihar and Jharkhand notify public holidays for Chhath. Delhi and Mumbai ghats organised by migrant associations should follow police permissions. Diaspora groups on other continents offer arghya at local sunset/sunrise on the same tithi, which may differ by one civil day from India.
Key sacred rituals
- Nahay Khay (Day 1) and Kharna (Day 2)
- Sandhya Arghya (Day 3) offering milk and water to setting sun in river
- Usha Arghya (Day 4) offering to rising sun followed by breaking 36-hr fast
- Offering Thekua, Sugarcane, and seasonal fruits in bamboo Soop
Frequently asked questions
When is Chhath Puja?
The main Sandhya Arghya is on Saturday, 14 November. Usha Arghya is at dawn on 15 November.
What time is Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya?
Indicative IST times are Sandhya Arghya 05:28 PM on 14 November and Usha Arghya 06:42 AM on 15 November. Use exact sunset and sunrise for your ghat.
How many days is Chhath Puja?
Four days: Nahay Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, and Usha Arghya. The waterless stretch is usually from Kharna evening until Usha Arghya.
Can men observe Chhath?
Yes. The vrata is undertaken by anyone who takes the sankalpa; many families have male vrati as well as women.
Is Chhath Puja a public holiday?
It is a major public holiday in Bihar, Jharkhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Other states may grant restricted holidays.
What if I cannot stand in a river?
Use a clean, permitted water body or a safe household arrangement that still faces the actual setting and rising Sun. Do not risk floods or crowds if you are unwell.
Muhurat times are indicative for IST and may vary by city sunrise and tithi. Confirm with Today's Panchang.