Chhath Puja

Chhath Puja is a Hindu festival honoring Surya, the Sun god. Devotees pray for longevity, prosperity and well-being, and worship the Sun at both sunset and sunrise. It takes place over four days. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, lists the 2026 observance from November 13 to 16. The festival is especially important in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Chhath Puja follows the Hindu lunar calendar, so its dates move each year. In 2026 it runs November 13–16; in 2027 the main day (Sandhya Arghya) falls on November 4, with the four-day festival November 2–5.

How Chhath Puja started

According to the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Chhath Puja traces its roots to ancient Hindu Vedic traditions and reflects reverence for the Sun as a force that sustains life. The ministry also recounts a tradition that, on the eighteenth day after Lord Krishna’s birth, Mother Yashoda performed Jal Puja, or Ghat Puja, for the child Krishna.

Chhath Puja unfolds over four days, with rituals that include fasting, sacred dips in water and offerings. On the first day, Nahay Khay, devotees take a dip in a river or other body of water and collect Ganges water for offerings at home.

Sunrise, sunset and the meaning of the rituals

Chhath Puja has a distinctive focus on worshipping the Sun at both sunset and sunrise. Devotees gather at riverbanks, ponds, lakes or other places with access to water to make offerings as the Sun goes down and again as it rises. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, describes the festival as a way to seek blessings for longevity, prosperity and well-being.

Many devotees fast as part of the festival, whose four days bring together prayer and abstinence. Some undertake strict fasting without food or water. These practices are personal and should be approached according to individual health and religious guidance. The fast is often undertaken by women, though people of different genders take part in the festival.

Offerings are arranged in baskets or on trays and may include fruits, sugarcane, coconut and traditional foods such as thekua, a sweet made from flour and jaggery or sugar. Cleanliness and careful preparation matter in many households. Folk songs are also part of the observance, sung during gatherings and as offerings are made.

In places where many people observe the festival, local communities may prepare ghats, the steps leading down to a river or pond, for the gatherings. Families often celebrate together, while neighbors and volunteers help make the shared spaces ready.

Ways to take part in Chhath Puja

• Learn about the festival from someone who observes it, or read about its customs in the context of the region and family tradition you’re interested in.
• If you’re invited to a home celebration, ask your hosts how you can help. You might assist with preparing or arranging offerings, while following their guidance about food and ritual practices.
• Attend a public gathering only where visitors are welcome. Follow local instructions at the ghat, keep walkways clear, and don’t photograph people or ceremonies without permission.
• If you’d like to make an offering, choose seasonal fruit or another item that fits the customs of the people you’re celebrating with. Avoid assuming that every family follows the same practice.
• Join in respectfully by listening to Chhath songs, helping clean a shared space, or sharing a meal after the rituals, if the hosts invite you.

Is Chhath Puja a public holiday?

In India it is a public holiday in several states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, and a national holiday in Nepal — but it is not a public holiday everywhere.

Reviewed by the Holiday List editorial team on November 11, 2026 · Last updated November 11, 2026.

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