Chhath Puja — worship of Sun-god and Chhathi Maiya (Sun's sister). 4-day rigorous-vrat. Main festival of Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern UP, Nepal. Main day on Kartika-Shukla-Shashthi. Chhath Puja 2026 on 14-17 November.
Hardest Hindu-vrat — 36 hours nirjala (without water). Highest level of purity. Today women (vratis) do for entire family.
✦ Chhath Puja 2026 — 4-Day Calendar
Day 1: Nahay-Khay (14 Nov 2026 Sat) — sacred bath. One-time sattvic meal (pumpkin-rice, gram-dal).
Day 2: Kharna (15 Nov Sun) — full-day nirjala. Evening kheer-roti (sugarcane-jaggery kheer).
Day 3: Setting-Sun arghya (16 Nov Mon) — Evening 5:08 PM. Thekua, fruits, sugarcane offering.
Day 4: Rising-Sun arghya (17 Nov Tue) — Morning 6:30 AM. Paran (vrat-end). Prasad distribution.
📚Sources & References
Content in this article is verified against the following classical and modern authoritative sources. Readers may independently verify against the original sources.
- ▪Surya Siddhanta — classical Sanskrit astronomical text (~5th century CE)
- ▪Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra — foundational text on Vedic astrology by Maharishi Parashara
- ▪Muhurta Chintamani by Ram Daivajna (16th century) — standard reference for muhurat selection
- ▪Astronomical Algorithms by Jean Meeus (Willmann-Bell, 1998) — basis for all astronomical computations on this site
- ▪Lahiri Ayanamsa — standard sidereal reference adopted by the Indian Calendar Reform Committee (1955)
✦ Frequently Asked Questions
Why called hardest Hindu-vrat?▼
36 hours nirjala (without even water). No other Hindu-vrat this long. Strict purity rules. No priest — vrati performs herself. 4-day continuous anushthan.
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Note: This content is published for educational and cultural reference. For personal religious or astrological decisions, please consult a qualified pandit or jyotishi.