Chhath Puja dates (popular practice)

Chhath Puja is popular practice; no text read gives the day. Its four days in 2026, 2027 and 2028 by our stated rule, with the evening and morning arghya at your city’s sunset and sunrise.

City

Popular practice; no text read gives the day.

Next Chhath Puja in Patna

13 to 16 November 2026

It begins with Nahāy-khāy in 26 days.

Nahāy-khāyFri 13 Nov

KharnāSat 14 Nov

Sandhya ArghyaSun 15 Nov, sunset 16:59

Usha ArghyaMon 16 Nov, sunrise 06:08

Chhath Puja 2026 in every city

Chhath Puja dates, 2026 to 2028

Each city’s own time

Year	Patna	Delhi	London	New York City
Chhath Puja 2026	13 to 16 NovemberEvening arghya Sun 15 Nov, 16:59	13 to 16 NovemberEvening arghya Sun 15 Nov, 17:26	13 to 16 NovemberEvening arghya Sun 15 Nov, 16:09	13 to 16 NovemberEvening arghya Sun 15 Nov, 16:36
Chhath Puja 2027	2 to 5 NovemberEvening arghya Thu 4 Nov, 17:05	2 to 5 NovemberEvening arghya Thu 4 Nov, 17:32	2 to 5 NovemberEvening arghya Thu 4 Nov, 16:27	2 to 5 NovemberEvening arghya Thu 4 Nov, 17:47
Chhath Puja 2028	21 to 24 OctoberEvening arghya Mon 23 Oct, 17:13	21 to 24 OctoberEvening arghya Mon 23 Oct, 17:42	21 to 24 OctoberEvening arghya Mon 23 Oct, 17:48	21 to 24 OctoberEvening arghya Mon 23 Oct, 18:02

Popular practice; no text read gives the day. Each year’s page has the four days and the arghya times in all 17 cities.

How the days are set

The Sandhya Arghya, the evening arghya, is on the first day whose sunrise falls within the Kārttika śukla Ṣaṣṭhī. If no sunrise does, it is on the day whose sunset falls in it.
The Usha Arghya, the morning arghya, is at the next sunrise. Kharnā is the day before the evening arghya, and Nahāy-khāy the day before that.
The times are the city’s own sunset and sunrise.

This rule is ours. No text read gives Chhath’s day. The spring Chhath, Chaiti Chhath, on the Caitra śukla Ṣaṣṭhī, follows the same rule. Chaiti Chhath dates

What the texts have

Sun worship on a Ṣaṣṭhī is in the texts: a year-long vow to the Sun on the dark Ṣaṣṭhī of each month, and the Sūrya-ṣaṣṭhī of Bhādrapada. Kṛtyaratnākara pp. 447⁠–⁠448; DS p. 55
The texts give the Kārttika Ṣaṣṭhī to a fast for Kārttikeya, and, on a Tuesday, to Agni. Kṛtyaratnākara p. 415; DS p. 79
Chhath’s own day and rites are popular practice.

Questions

By our stated rule, with the texts cited where they touch the day.

When is Chhath Puja?

In Patna: Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November 2026 (the evening arghya at 16:59, the morning arghya at 06:08); Tuesday, 2 November to Friday, 5 November 2027 (the evening arghya at 17:05, the morning arghya at 06:00); Saturday, 21 October to Tuesday, 24 October 2028 (the evening arghya at 17:13, the morning arghya at 05:53). Popular practice; no text read gives the day.

What are the four days of Chhath?

Nahāy-khāy, Kharnā, the Sandhya Arghya in the evening and the Usha Arghya the next morning. By our rule the evening arghya is on the first day whose sunrise falls within the Kārttika śukla Ṣaṣṭhī, the morning arghya at the next sunrise, and Kharnā and Nahāy-khāy on the two days before. Popular practice; no text read gives these days.

Is Chhath in the classical texts?

No. The texts read have Sun worship on a Ṣaṣṭhī on other days: a year-long vow on the dark Ṣaṣṭhī of each month (Kṛtyaratnākara pp. 447⁠–⁠448) and the Sūrya-ṣaṣṭhī of Bhādrapada (DS p. 55). They give the Kārttika Ṣaṣṭhī to Kārttikeya (Kṛtyaratnākara p. 415) and, on a Tuesday, to Agni (DS p. 79). Chhath’s own day and rites are popular practice.

Why is the date different in the US or UK?

The Ṣaṣṭhī begins and ends at the same moment everywhere, but sunrise and sunset come at different hours. The first sunrise within it can fall on another date in another city, and the other three days move with it. Each city’s days and times here follow its own sunrise and sunset.

How the days are found

Read the methodology

Basis: Popular practice; no text read gives the day. The rule below is ours, stated in full.
The evening arghya: The evening arghya is on the first day whose sunrise falls within the Kārttika śukla Ṣaṣṭhī, or, when none does, on the day whose sunset falls in it. With two sunsets in it, it is on the later day, whose sunrise holds it (our reading).
The caution: Where moving the Ṣaṣṭhī’s start or end by one ghaṭikā (24 minutes) would change the day, the other day is shown too.
The other days: The morning arghya at the next sunrise; Kharnā the day before the evening arghya, and Nahāy-khāy the day before that.
Sunrise and sunset: At the centre of the Sun’s disc, with refraction, for the chosen city. Every date and time is that city’s own.

Sunrise and sunset at the centre of the Sun’s disc, with refraction · each city’s own time · Swiss Ephemeris · Method