Brimming with timeless devotion, folk melodies, and illuminated riverbanks, Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow is celebrating the third and most vibrant day of Chhath Mahaparva today, Sunday, November 15, 2026, as thousands of fasting devotees (vratis) gather along the Gomti river, ponds, and neighborhood ghats to offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun. Standing in sacred waters with folded hands and bamboo baskets (dauras) brimming with thekua, sugarcane, coconut, and seasonal fruits, devotees will pray to Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya for their families' prosperity and the long, healthy lives of their children before concluding their rigorous 36-hour Nirjala fast with Usha Arghya to the rising sun on Monday morning, November 16. At the heart of the city's festivities is the iconic Laxman Mela Ground on the banks of the Gomti, where the All India Bhojpuri Samaj is hosting its 43rd consecutive annual Chhath Mahaparva—with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath scheduled to attend at 4:00 PM to offer evening prayers. For families, devotees, and cultural readers across Lucknow, Gomti Nagar, Alambagh, Mahanagar, Indira Nagar, Chowk, Aminabad, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Patna, the capital's riverbanks and local neighborhoods have transformed into a radiant tapestry of faith and community harmony.

CM Yogi Adityanath and Padma Shri Malini Awasthi at Laxman Mela Ground

According to All India Bhojpuri Samaj National President Prabhunath Rai, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will arrive at the Chhath Ghat at Laxman Mela Ground at 4:00 PM on Sunday to participate in the evening rituals and offer arghya to the setting sun. The grand gathering—presided over by BJP State President Pankaj Chaudhary—will also be graced by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, along with several state cabinet ministers and legislators.

Adding rich cultural resonance to the spiritual observance, renowned folk exponent Padma Shri Malini Awasthi and nearly 100 folk artists will present traditional Chhath songs glorifying Chhathi Maiya. Main celebrations at the Laxman Mela Ground will run continuously from 2:00 PM on Sunday through 8:00 AM on Monday, culminating after morning prayers to the rising sun.

From Kharna's Jaggery Kheer to the 36-Hour Nirjala Vrat

The arduous 36-hour waterless fast commenced on Saturday evening following Kharna, the second day of the four-day festival. After fasting throughout the day and purifying all puja items, devotees prepared traditional jaggery-and-rice kheer and roti late Saturday night, breaking their daylong fast before entering the continuous nirjala observance.

In Kanpur Road LDA Colony, devotee Sunita Rai shared how women prepared the primary sacred offering, thekua, on traditional earthen stoves (mitti ke chulhe) before partaking in Kharna kheer. In Manas Nagar, Kajal Singh noted that vratis never break their fast until prasad is distributed to everyone, describing how husbands and sons carry decorated baskets on their heads to the ghat while women walk behind singing timeless Chhath folk songs. Meanwhile, Ranjana Singh highlighted the cherished family tradition where elderly women, when unable to endure the fast due to age, formally pass the Chhath vrata to their daughters-in-law at the ghat itself, while many families stay awake through the night at the riverbank until morning arghya.

Festivities Across Lucknow Ghats, Neighborhoods, and Bustling Markets

Beyond Laxman Mela Ground, devotion is overflowing across nearly 110 ghats and neighborhood altars in Lucknow. Large congregations are gathering at Jhulelal Vatika, Mankameshwar Temple Upvan, Shiv Mandir Ghat in Khadra, the 35th Battalion PAC pond in Mahanagar, Kudiya Ghat, Pakka Pul, Sanjhiya Ghat, and Alambagh's canals, alongside community altars at Sahason Veer Temple (Krishna Nagar), Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple (Manas Nagar), Shani Temple Complex (Kanpur Road LDA Colony), Gomti Nagar, and a special Mithila Samaj celebration at Gomti Ghat near Ekana Stadium. Ahead of the rituals, brisk festive shopping filled Aminabad, Chowk, Alambagh, Nishatganj, and Indira Nagar's Bhootnath Market, where families stocked up on coconuts, sugarcane, bananas, apples, oranges, water chestnuts (singhara), sweet potatoes, raw turmeric, ginger, bamboo dauras, and earthen lamps.