Chhath Puja 2026
A rigorous four-day fast honouring the Sun God at sunset and sunrise.
ℹ️ The main Sandhya Arghya (evening offering) falls on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, Nov 15, 2026. The four-day festival runs from Nahay Khay (Nov 13) to Usha Arghya (Nov 16).
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Festival overview
Chhath Puja is a demanding, deeply devotional festival — most widely observed in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and the Terai region of Nepal — in which the vratti (observer) offers gratitude directly to Surya, the visible source of life and energy, standing in a river or pond at both sunset and the following sunrise.
History & origin
Sun worship traces back to Vedic hymns to Surya, and Chhath's specific tradition is often linked in folklore to Draupadi and to Karna, the Mahabharata's son of Surya, both said to have observed similar rites. Unlike most Hindu worship, Chhath is performed without an idol or priest as intermediary — the vratti approaches the sun directly.
Spiritual significance
Chhath strips worship down to its most elemental form: no idol, no temple, just the observer, water and the rising and setting sun. It is a festival of radical gratitude and self-discipline, teaching that devotion is proven through austerity (tapasya), not comfort.
Religious significance
The 36-hour nirjala fast, standing arghya (offerings) in water, and the shared discipline of the entire household make Chhath one of the most physically rigorous observances in the Hindu calendar.
Rituals & how it is observed
- Nahay Khay — a ritual bath and a single pure meal on day one
- Kharna — a day-long fast broken at dusk with kheer and roti, after which the 36-hour nirjala fast begins
- Sandhya Arghya — offering to the setting sun while standing in a river or pond
- Usha Arghya — offering to the rising sun the next morning, breaking the fast
Do
- Maintain strict cleanliness and simplicity through all four days
- Offer arghya standing in water at both sunset and sunrise
- Prepare thekua and seasonal fruit as prasad
- Support the vratti — the whole family typically takes part in the preparations
Avoid
- Avoid onion, garlic and non-satvik food in the household during the days
- Do not break the fast before the Usha Arghya
- Avoid loud celebration — Chhath is disciplined and austere, not festive noise
Fasting guidelines
A 36-hour nirjala (waterless) fast is kept by the vratti from the Kharna evening meal until the Usha Arghya the following morning.
Always consult a doctor before keeping a strict or waterless (nirjala) fast, especially if you have a health condition.
Bhagavad Gita teachings for Chhath Puja
Krishna identifies himself directly with the sun's light in the Gita: the radiance that illumines the whole world and dispels darkness is his own. Chhath's worship of Surya at the threshold of day and night is, in Gita terms, worship of Krishna's own splendour made visible.
“The splendour of the sun, which dispels the darkness of the whole world, know that splendour to be Mine.”
“Among luminaries, I am the radiant sun.”
Krishna's guidance for this day
Ask Krishna what discipline Chhath is inviting you toward — not the specific fast, but the willingness to stand, unsheltered, in gratitude before the source of your life. Where has comfort made you forget what actually sustains you?
Bring a real question about Chhath Puja — its meaning for your life, what to focus on spiritually, what Krishna teaches through it — and receive calm, verse-backed guidance.
Ask Krishna about Chhath Puja →Mantras & prayers
- ॐ ह्रीं ह्रीं सूर्याय सहस्रकिरणाय मनोवांछित फलम् देहि देहि स्वाहा
- ॐ सूर्याय नमः (Om Suryaya Namah)
Recommended activities
- Join or support a family member keeping the Chhath vrat
- Offer arghya at a river, pond or ghat
- Prepare thekua as prasad
- Read Gita 15.12 and 10.21 on the sun as Krishna's own light
Make Chhath Puja meaningful this year
Add it to your calendar, share the guide with loved ones, and ask Krishna what this sacred day is inviting you toward.