About Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja is devoted to Surya, the Sun, and to Chhathi Maiya, revered as a mother goddess who protects children and grants well-being. Its main day is Kartika Shukla Shashthi, six days after Diwali, and a smaller observance, Chaiti Chhath, takes place in Chaitra. The festival is most closely associated with Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Madhesh region of Nepal, and is now celebrated by these communities across India and abroad.
Chhath unfolds over four days. It begins with Nahay Khay, a ritual bath and a simple sattvic meal. On the second day, Kharna, devotees fast through the day and then eat kheer made with jaggery and roti, after which a demanding fast without water begins. On the third evening, families gather at rivers and ponds to offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun, and on the fourth morning they offer Usha Arghya to the rising sun before breaking the fast. Thekua, fruits and sugarcane are carried in bamboo soops, and folk songs fill the ghats.
How it is observed
- Observing Nahay Khay with a purifying bath and a simple meal
- Preparing kheer and roti for Kharna in a clean, sattvic kitchen
- Offering arghya to the setting sun and the rising sun at a river or pond
- Carrying thekua, fruit and sugarcane in bamboo soops to the ghat
- Singing traditional Chhath folk songs with family and neighbours
Chhath Puja dates in past and coming years
| Year | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Thursday, 7 November 2024 | Past |
| 2025 | Monday, 27 October 2025 | Past |
| 2026 | Sunday, 15 November 2026 | Next |
| 2027 | Thursday, 4 November 2027 | Upcoming |
| 2028 | Monday, 23 October 2028 | Upcoming |
| 2029 | Sunday, 11 November 2029 | Upcoming |
| 2030 | Thursday, 31 October 2030 | Upcoming |
Dates are calculated from the Panchang for New Delhi. Some regions may observe a day earlier or later.
Across India
Celebrated widely in: Bihar Uttar Pradesh Delhi West Bengal
The same season is marked in many ways. Where a region keeps the festival on a different day, its calculated date is shown.
Bihar
Chhath
The four-day festival goes from Nahay Khay and Kharna to the evening and dawn arghya to the Sun, with vratis standing in the river and offering thekua and fruits.
Jharkhand
Chhath
Families gather at rivers, ponds and dams, singing Chhath songs while offering arghya to the setting and rising Sun.
Eastern Uttar Pradesh
Chhath
The ghats of Varanasi and towns along the Ganga fill with devotees and decorated soop baskets.
Nepal (Madhesh)
Chhath
Janakpur and the Terai region celebrate Chhath with great devotion at ponds and rivers.
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata
Chhath
Families from Bihar and Purvanchal celebrate at the Yamuna ghats, Juhu beach and riverbanks, making Chhath a big city event.
The Chhath fast is long and often without water; people with health conditions, pregnant women and the elderly are advised to check with a doctor, and family members may share the rituals in gentler ways.
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