A wave of spiritual devotion and festive anticipation has swept across households and riverbanks nationwide as the sacred four-day Chhath Mahaparva 2026 officially begins today, Friday, November 13, 2026, with the traditional ritual of Nahay-Khay. Celebrated with immense reverence across Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh—from the Gomti riverfront in Lucknow and the ancient Ganga ghats of Varanasi and Patna to Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Ranchi, New Delhi, and Mumbai—Chhath Puja is dedicated to Lord Surya (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya (Goddess Shashthi). Renowned as one of the most disciplined and eco-conscious observances in Sanatana Dharma, the festival centers on a grueling 36-hour waterless (nirjala) fast undertaken by devotees (vratis). According to enduring religious belief, observing this arduous penance with purity of heart blesses families with healthy children, protection from illness, household prosperity, and longevity.

Chhath Puja 2026 Calendar: Complete Tithi and Arghya Timings

According to the Vedic lunar calendar (Panchang), Chhath Puja unfolds from the fourth lunar day (Chaturthi) to the seventh lunar day (Saptami) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) in the holy month of Kartika. Because every ritual—from the initial cleansing bath to the final offering to the rising sun—is governed by precise lunar tithis and solar timings, families and temple committees follow the Panchang schedule closely.

Day 1 and Day 2: Nahay-Khay Purification and Kharna Rituals

The spiritual journey of Chhath Puja commences on Friday, November 13, 2026, with Nahay-Khay, observed on Kartik Shukla Paksha Chaturthi—which began at 6:09 PM on November 12 and concludes at 8:42 PM tonight. Literally meaning "bathe and eat," Nahay-Khay marks the physical and mental purification of both the vrati and the entire household. Early in the morning, devotees bathe in sacred rivers such as the Ganga, Gomti, Saryu, or Yamuna, or in clean water infused with Ganga Jal at home, before thoroughly cleaning their kitchens and living spaces. Following morning prayers to Surya Dev, the vrati prepares and consumes a strictly satvik meal consisting of bottle gourd curry (lauki ki sabzi), Bengal gram lentils (chana dal), and steamed rice, cooked using rock salt (sendha namak) and pure cow ghee without onion, garlic, or regular table salt. Once the vrati eats, family members partake of the sanctified meal as prasad.

On the second day, Saturday, November 14, 2026, devotees observe Kharna on Kartik Shukla Panchami—a tithi running from 8:42 PM on November 13 until 11:23 PM on November 14. Throughout the day, the vrati maintains a strict waterless fast without consuming a single drop of water or morsel of food. After sunset, inside a purified kitchen area, the devotee prepares sacred offerings on a fresh earthen stove fueled by dried mango wood: sweet kheer made with newly harvested rice and jaggery (rasiyaw), accompanied by soft whole-wheat rotis brushed with ghee and ripe bananas. After worshipping Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya with incense, lamps, and vermilion, the vrati consumes the Kharna prasad in complete silence before distributing it to family and neighbors. Consuming this evening meal officially inaugurates the uninterrupted 36-hour nirjala fast.

Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya: Evening and Dawn Prayer Timings

The third day, Sunday, November 15, 2026, represents the main focal point of the festival—Sandhya Arghya—celebrated on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, which extends from 11:23 PM on November 14 until 2:00 AM on November 16. By mid-afternoon, families dressed in traditional attire carry woven bamboo baskets (daura) and winnowing trays (soop) brimming with thekua, sugarcane stalks, coconuts, sweet limes (gaggal), bananas, ginger, and turmeric toward decorated river ghats, ponds, or community reservoirs. Standing waist-deep in cool water while facing west, devotees offer Arghya—pouring raw milk and sacred water over the fruit-laden soop—as the evening sun descends toward the horizon around 5:45 PM. Unique among world traditions, Chhath Puja reveres the setting sun alongside the rising sun, symbolizing gratitude for every cycle of life and light.

The four-day penance reaches its spiritual climax on the fourth morning, Monday, November 16, 2026, with Usha Arghya, observed during Kartik Shukla Saptami (which begins at 2:00 AM on November 16 and ends at 4:19 AM on November 17). Long before dawn breaks, ghats across Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna, Gorakhpur, Delhi, and Mumbai glow with thousands of earthen lamps and folk Chhath melodies as devotees enter the water facing east. The moment the first golden rays of the rising sun pierce the morning mist, families offer the final Usha Arghya, praying for the health, well-being, and long life of their children and loved ones. Immediately after completing dawn prayers and distributing prasad at the ghat, the vrati performs Parana—consuming ginger, water, and sacred sweets to conclude the arduous 36-hour fast.

Spiritual Significance of the 36-Hour Fast and Nature Worship

Beyond its strict ritual timetable, Chhath Mahaparva stands out globally as a festival of pure ecological devotion. Celebrated without idol worship or elaborate priestly rituals, Chhath connects human beings directly with solar energy, clean water bodies, and seasonal autumn harvests. In local administrations across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar—including municipal ghats in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Patna—elaborate arrangements for clean bathing water, barricading, lighting, and medical aid are underway to welcome millions of devotees safely. Whether observed along historic riverbanks or on residential rooftops across Indian cities, Chhath Puja 2026 reaffirms timeless values of self-discipline, gratitude to nature, and collective family faith.