Chhath Puja — the worship of Surya (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya (the sixth form of the Goddess) — is one of India's most ancient and ecologically rooted festivals. Observed with extraordinary austerity (a 36-hour continuous fast, including nirjala — no water) by the devotee, and celebrated by the entire community at the river bank, it is one of the most visually stunning festivals in India.
Quick Answer
Chhath Puja 2026: October 26-29. Four days: Nahay Khay (ritual bath, simple meal), Kharna (fast, evening Kheer), Sandhya Arghya (evening, standing in river at sunset — main ritual), Usha Arghya (dawn, standing in river at sunrise). 36-hour nirjala (waterless) fast between evening and sunrise offerings. Prasad: Thekua (wheat-jaggery fried sweet), fresh fruits, sugarcane.
Sandhya Arghya — The Sunset Offering
The Sandhya Arghya on the evening of the third day is the most visually spectacular ritual of Chhath Puja. The fasting devotee (Vrati) stands in the river or in water up to the waist, holding a bamboo bamboo basket (sup) filled with prasad and facing the setting sun. The Arghya (offering of water mixed with milk) is raised toward the setting sun three times while family members ring bells and blow conch shells. The sight of thousands of devotees standing in rivers and lakes across Bihar and elsewhere, facing the setting sun with offerings raised, is one of the most magnificent religious spectacles in India.
Chhath Puja's Ecological Significance
Chhath Puja has an extraordinary ecological dimension — it takes place at natural water bodies (rivers, ponds, lakes) and worships the elements of nature: the sun, water, earth (the offerings are placed on the bank), and air. The festival traditionally involves cleaning the riverbank before the puja and leaving it clean after. In this sense, Chhath Puja embodies a relationship of reverence toward nature that is increasingly recognized as environmentally significant.
Chhath Puja in the Diaspora
Chhath Puja has followed the Bihari and eastern UP diaspora across India — to Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Chennai — and across the world. Images of Chhath Puja being observed at Brent Reservoir in London, at ponds in New Jersey, and at beaches in Fiji have become iconic images of the Indian diaspora's determination to maintain specific regional traditions thousands of miles from their origin. The festival has been recognized as a public holiday in several countries with significant Bihari diaspora populations.
💡 Family tradition tip
Document your family's Chhath Puja traditions — the specific river or water body used, the specific Thekua recipe your family makes, the specific songs (Chhath Geet) your family sings. The Chhath Puja observance — particularly the 36-hour nirjala fast and the pre-dawn sunrise offering — is among the most rigorous and devotional of all Indian festival practices. Its specific expression in your family is heritage worth preserving in detail.