Chhath Puja 2026: Countdown Begins for 4-Day Mahaparv
_2085148018.jpg)
Devotion and spiritual fervor have begun sweeping across the country as the countdown officially commences for Chhath Puja 2026, the venerable four-day Mahaparv celebrated with unmatched reverence across Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and global Indian diaspora hubs. Rooted in ancient Vedic traditions dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev) and his sister Goddess Shashthi (Chhathi Maiya), this sacred festival involves an arduous 36-hour waterless (nirjala) fast undertaken predominantly by women for the health, well-being, longevity, and prosperity of their children and families. From ritual ghat cleanups along sacred rivers to meticulous home preparations, devotees are marking their calendars for the precise tithi timelines and arghya muhurats spanning from November 13 through November 16, 2026.
Nahay-Khaay & Kharna 2026: Ritual Purification and the Sacred Onset of the 36-Hour Penance
The four-day spiritual observance officially sets in on Friday, November 13, 2026, marking the observance of Nahay-Khaay on Kartik Shukla Chaturthi. The Chaturthi Tithi commences on November 12 at 6:09 PM and concludes on November 13 at 8:42 PM, during which devotees take a holy bath in sacred rivers or home waters, sanitize their surroundings, and prepare traditional satvik meals comprising bottle gourd curry (kaddu-bhaat) and Bengal gram lentils in brass or earthen vessels. The second day, known as Kharna, falls on Saturday, November 14, following the onset of Panchami Tithi at 8:42 PM on November 13, which concludes at 11:23 PM on November 14. On this day, devotees observe a day-long fast without a drop of water, culminating in an evening ritual offering of wood-fire-cooked jaggery-rice kheer (rasiao) and ghee-smeared rotis to Chhathi Maiya, which is consumed as sacred prasad before the unbroken 36-hour fast officially begins.
Sandhya Arghya to Usha Arghya: Auspicious Sunset and Sunrise Muhurat Across River Ghats
The core high point of the festival unfolds on the third day, Sunday, November 15, with the offering of Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun during Kartik Shukla Shashthi. Devotees standing waist-deep in water at river ghats and decorated ponds present the soop laden with fresh seasonal fruits, sugarcane, thekua, and daurha offerings to Surya Dev, with the sunset arghya scheduled for approximately 5:45 PM. The grand culmination arrives on the fourth day, Monday, November 16, with Usha Arghya, offered to the rising sun on Saptami Tithi, which commences at 2:00 AM on November 16 and wraps up at 4:19 AM on November 17. As the first rays of the dawn illuminate the waters, devotees pour milk and water offerings to the rising Sun God, seek divine blessings for family longevity, and break their rigorous fast by partaking in ginger, raw milk, and sanctified prasad, bringing the solemn four-day spiritual journey to a joyous close.
_304340811_351x234.jpg)
_998497038_351x234.jpg)
_2065805382_351x234.jpg)
_867362777_351x234.jpg)
_323033266_351x234.jpg)