Chhath Puja 2026 is the most sacred four-day folk festival of Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Terai region of Nepal, dedicated to Surya Dev, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya, the sister of Surya. In 2026, Chhath Puja will be observed from Friday, November 13 to Monday, November 16, beginning with Nahay Khay and ending with the Usha Arghya. The festival is the only Vedic occasion where both the setting and the rising sun are worshipped with equal reverence, often standing waist-deep in water. Devotees fill beautifully woven bamboo soop baskets with thekua, sugarcane, coconut, banana and diyas, and offer them to the sun with a brass Surya murti installed at the ghat or in the home altar. Explore the brass Surya and puja collection at aagambrass.com/catalog.php to make your Chhath offerings truly auspicious.
Chhath is more than a ritual — it is a celebration of nature, water, solar energy and family well-being. The four-day vrati, the soop basket, the thekua prasad and the sandhya arghya make Chhath a unique cultural heritage. For more context on Chhath traditions, Bhojpuri folk songs and brass puja rituals, browse the Deshna Wholesale blog.
The Mythology And Spiritual Meaning Of Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja is rooted in the Rig Veda, where the setting sun is invoked in the Surya Sukta, and in the Mahabharata, where Draupadi and the Pandavas of Hastinapura are said to have observed Chhath to recover their lost kingdom. Another legend says that Surya Putra Karna, the great donor and king of Anga Desh (modern Bhagalpur in Bihar), first popularised Chhath as a folk festival. The four-day vrati is essentially a yogic discipline of detoxification, fasting and gratitude to the cosmic source of life.
Worship of the setting sun is unique to Chhath. While most Indian festivals honour the rising sun, Chhath vratis stand in rivers, ponds and water bodies at sunset to offer arghya to the dying rays and at sunrise to welcome the first light. The goddess Chhathi Maiya, also called Usha in the Vedas, is believed to be the sister of Surya and the protector of children, fertility and family well-being. Chhath is therefore a festival of gratitude, balance and continuity — honouring both the end and the beginning of the solar cycle.
Chhath Puja 2026: The Four Days
In 2026, Chhath Puja begins on Friday, November 13, 2026 (Nahay Khay) and concludes on Monday, November 16, 2026 (Usha Arghya). The four days are:
- Day 1 — Nahay Khay (Friday, November 13): The vrati takes a holy bath, usually in a river or pond, and prepares a pure sattvic meal of lauki (bottle gourd), kaddu bhat with chana dal and roti. Only one meal is taken, cooked in bronze or earthen utensils on a wood or cow-dung stove.
- Day 2 — Kharna / Lohanda (Saturday, November 14): The vrati observes a strict nirjala fast from sunrise to sunset. After sunset, kheer made with jaggery and rice, roti, and bananas are offered to Chhathi Maiya and consumed by the devotee. This marks the beginning of a 36-hour nirjala fast observed till sunrise on Usha Arghya.
- Day 3 — Sandhya Arghya (Sunday, November 15): As the sun sets, devotees gather on riverbanks, ponds and rooftops to offer arghya to the setting sun. The soop is filled with thekua, sugarcane, banana, coconut, diya and seasonal fruits. Folk songs, bhajans and collective prayers fill the air.
- Day 4 — Usha Arghya (Monday, November 16): The vrati, family and community gather before sunrise to offer arghya to the rising sun. After the offering, the fast is broken with the prasad, and Chhath concludes with the distribution of thekua and fruit to family, neighbours and friends.
The Soop Basket And Thekua Prasad
Why Thekua Prasad Is Cooked In Pure Ghee
The soop is a beautifully woven bamboo basket that holds the offerings to Surya Dev. A traditional Chhath soop is filled with:
- Thekua — a special wheat-and-jaggery sweet fried in ghee
- Whole sugarcane with the leaves intact
- Bananas, coconut, sweet lime and seasonal fruits
- Turmeric root, ginger and radish
- A clay or brass diya with a cotton wick
- Fresh flowers, mango leaves and supari
- A small brass Surya murti (placed on top of the soop in many homes)
The thekua is the signature prasad of Chhath, made from whole-wheat flour, ghee, jaggery and cardamom. Devotees prepare thekua in large quantities on the second or third day, and the prasad is exchanged among family, friends and neighbours. Many Chhath devotees also keep a brass kalash of Gangajal at the altar, since the Ganga is considered the most sacred water for the arghya.
Sandhya Arghya And Usha Arghya: How The Offerings Are Made
On the evening of Sandhya Arghya (November 15, 2026), vratis carry the soop basket, often covered with a clean red or yellow cloth, and walk in family groups to the nearest river, pond or large water body. A small altar is set up at the ghat with a brass Surya murti placed at the centre, flanked by brass diyas, flowers and the soop basket. The vrati stands waist-deep in water, faces the west, and offers arghya to the setting sun with a brass lota, reciting Surya mantras such as Om Hraam Hreem Hraum Sah Suryaya Namah.
On Usha Arghya (November 16, 2026), the family returns to the ghat before sunrise. The vrati now faces the east, and the soop is once again offered to the rising sun, with diyas, incense and the brass Surya murti completing the picture. After the offering, the vrati breaks the 36-hour nirjala fast with a sip of water, a bite of thekua and the prasad. The Chhath festival concludes with the distribution of thekua, fruit and prasad to neighbours, family and the wider community.
Brass Surya Idol: Bringing Solar Grace Into The Home
A finely crafted brass Surya murti is the heart of the Chhath puja. The traditional iconography shows Surya Dev seated on a chariot drawn by seven horses, holding lotus flowers in both hands, with the goddess Usha and the deity of dawn by his side. Brass, with its golden warmth, beautifully symbolises the light of the sun, and a brass Surya murti is believed to last for generations, becoming a treasured family heirloom that is brought out only during Chhath. our trusted brand, based in Khatauli, offers a wide range of handcrafted brass Surya murtis — small ones for the home altar, medium ones for community ghats and large ones for temples. The collection also includes brass kalash, brass diya, brass lota for arghya and matching brass Ganesh-Lakshmi pairs. Browse the full range at aagambrass.com/catalog.php or contact the team at aagambrass.com/contact-us.php for customised wholesale orders. You can also reach out via WhatsApp at wa.me/919358685800.
Chhath Across The States
While Chhath is the soul of Bihar, the festival is now celebrated across India and the world. In Jharkhand and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, the rituals are similar to Bihar's, with local folk songs and a particular emphasis on the sandhya arghya at the river. In West Bengal and Odisha, Chhath overlaps with the worship of the Sun in the form of Chhath Puja in some districts. In Nepal, especially in the Mithila and Terai regions, Chhath is called Chhath Parba and is a major public holiday.
Across the Indian diaspora — in Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Guyana, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom — Bihar and UP communities celebrate Chhath on rivers, ponds, beaches and even swimming pools, gathering around a brass Surya murti and a beautifully decorated soop. The Chhath festival, in this sense, is a global symbol of cultural identity, family unity and gratitude to nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is Chhath Puja 2026?
A: Chhath Puja 2026 will be observed from Friday, November 13 (Nahay Khay) to Monday, November 16 (Usha Arghya). The Sandhya Arghya is on Sunday, November 15, 2026.
Q: What is the difference between Chhath and Surya Puja?
A: Chhath is a four-day folk festival dedicated to Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya, with the unique feature of worshipping both the setting and rising sun. Surya Puja is a more general worship of the sun, often observed on Sundays, Ratha Saptami and Makar Sankranti.
Q: What is the significance of the soop basket?
A: The soop is a bamboo basket filled with prasad (thekua, fruits, sugarcane) and offerings to the sun. It is handwoven, often by the vrati's own family, and is a symbol of the sattvic, pure offering that the devotee makes to the divine.
Q: Can Chhath be celebrated at home without going to the river?
A: Yes, when there is no accessible river, pond or large water body, devotees set up a Chhath ghat at home using a large tub, a tank or even a washing basin, with a brass Surya murti, a brass diya and a brass lota for the arghya. The devotion matters more than the venue.
Q: Which brass idol is best for Chhath Puja?
A: A handcrafted brass Surya murti — with Surya seated on a chariot drawn by seven horses, holding lotuses — is the traditional choice. You can also add a brass kalash, a brass diya and a brass lota for the arghya.
Conclusion: Chhath Puja 2026 is a four-day journey of devotion, fasting, family and gratitude to the cosmic sun. By observing Nahay Khay with purity, performing the Kharna nirjala fast, offering the sandhya arghya with a brass Surya murti and a beautifully woven soop, and welcoming the first rays with Usha Arghya, devotees invite the warmth, light and well-being of Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya into their homes. May this Chhath bring health, prosperity and the radiant blessings of the sun to your family.
For handcrafted brass Surya murtis, brass kalash, brass diya, brass lota and complete Chhath puja sets, visit the our trusted brand catalog or contact the team at wa.me/919358685800 for customised festival orders. For more Chhath and Surya puja guides, explore the aagambrass.com blog.