Household practice of Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Nepal Terai
Chhath Puja · Four days for the Sun
Nahay-Khay, Kharna, the evening arghya and the dawn arghya: what happens each day, what to prepare and how the family can help.
WHEN
13–16 November 2026 · main day Sunday 15 November
Dates are for India (Drik Panchang, Gurugram). Sunset and sunrise, the moments of the two arghyas, differ by city; check your own city.
- Fri 13 NovNahay-Khay
- Sat 14 NovKharna (Lohanda)
- Sun 15 NovSandhya Arghya, to the setting sun
- Mon 16 NovUsha Arghya, to the rising sun, and parana
Source: Drik Panchang, Chhath Puja calendar 2026, location shown as Gurugram (checked 14 October 2026)
Choosing the time
The evening arghya is offered as the sun sets on the third day, and the dawn arghya as it rises on the fourth. Use one trusted panchang for your city’s sunset and sunrise.
Find your city’s Chhath timings on Drik Panchang ↗Add this date to Google Calendar ↗ · All festival dates
Chhath falls about a week after Diwali, on the sixth lunar day (Shashthi) of the waxing moon in Kartika; the four days run from Chaturthi to Saptami. A second, smaller Chhath is kept in Chaitra.
AT A GLANCE
What you need
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
What to gather
For the arghya
Prasad
At home or the ghat
HOW IT IS ARRANGED
The puja place, labelled
123456- Soop and daura सूप और दउरा
- Soop and daura सूप और दउरा
- Lota and spoon लोटा और आचमनी
- Thekua ठेकुआ
- Coconut and fruit नारियल और फल
- Clay diyas and wicks मिट्टी के दीये और बाती
One common arrangement; families differ. Follow your family’s practice.
THE BOOK
Chhath Puja: The four days, the arghya and the katha
₹99 · Order on WhatsApp, the PDF comes to your phone.
See the bookPrasad to make
Safety
From the evening of Kharna the vrati usually fasts without water for about 36 hours. Anyone who is pregnant, unwell, diabetic, on regular medication or elderly should speak to a doctor first; share the preparation and support work, and discuss undertaking or changing the fast with a doctor and an experienced family member. If the vrati becomes dizzy or passes very little urine, stop the fast, drink water and seek medical help; persistent dizziness on standing needs urgent medical advice, and confusion or difficulty waking needs emergency help. At the ghat, follow the organisers’ instructions; avoid deep or fast-flowing water, slippery steps and unsafe crowding; have a capable adult beside the vrati even in shallow water; keep the time in the water short, then dry off and put on warm clothes. For a night at the ghat, bring a torch, warm clothes, blankets and a charged phone. Keep children well away from deep water and crowds, and keep lamps clear of clothing.
One festival, many traditions
Chhath is offered to the Sun and to Chhathi Maiya. The person keeping the vrat, the vrati, is often the mother of the family, but men keep it too, and the whole family shares the work. Families gather at a river or pond; in cities and abroad many make a small pool or use a tub at home or on the terrace. Customs, songs and offerings differ from family to family; follow your own.