Chhath Puja 2026 In The USA: Date, Arghya Timings, Rituals And Celebrations

Last Updated on Nov 4th, 2026 by Neha Sharma, Leave a Comment

Chhath Puja is one of the most meaningful Hindu festivals dedicated to Surya Dev (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya. Celebrated with devotion, discipline, and gratitude, this four-day festival brings families together to offer prayers to the setting and rising Sun. Although it is traditionally connected to Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, Chhath Puja is now observed by Indian communities across the world, including the United States.

Chhath Puja is a great way for Indian Americans to keep family traditions alive, make traditional prasad, celebrate as a community and share the festival with the next generation. Nahay Khay Kharna Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya each day has a special significance and protocol.

If you plan to celebrate Chhath Puja in the USA in 2026, being aware of the festival dates, local sunrise and sunset times, necessary puja items, and traditional customs will assist you in your preparations.

When Is Chhath Puja In 2026 In The USA?

Chhath Puja date 2026 the festival will be celebrated from Friday, 13th November to Sunday, 16th November. The most important day of the festival when the devotees pray to the setting Sun is on Sunday, 15th November, the sixth and final day of the festival. The festival ends on the third day with Usha Arghya.

Chhath Puja occurs on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, or the sixth day of the bright half of the month of Kartik, the seventh month of the Hindu lunar calendar. Since the Hindu calendar is based on lunar timekeeping, the date varies each year in the Gregorian calendar.

Chhath Puja 2026: Four-Day Festival Calendar

These dates are also reflected in the 2026 Chhath calendars for New York and Atlanta. However, devotees should check a Panchang calculated for their own US city when confirming local observance details.

Travelling from the capital to join your family for Chhath? Check Delhi to USA flights for your trip. 

Chhath Puja 2026: Sandhya Arghya And Usha Arghya Timings In The USA

The two key moments of Chhath Puja are Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya. On the third day of Chhath Puja, the Arghya (water offering) is given to the setting Sun, and on the fourth day, to the rising Sun.

Chhath Arghya is not like most other festivals that have a universal clock time across the country. It is based on the actual time of sunset and sunrise at the Maadhi. So, it will be different in New York Chicago Houston, Atlanta and LA.

For instance, in the 2026 New York Chhath calendar, the sunset is listed as around 4:38 pm on 15th November, and the sunrise on 16th November is around 6:44 am. This translates to approximately 5:33 pm and 7:12 am respectively in Atlanta.

These are general local sunset and sunrise times, not all specific puja timings. Refer to the latest Panchang for that city and local Sun Rise Sun Set times before the puja. Other cities in US will be different.

Celebrating in a different time zone? Do not assume the timings that are published for India or for another American city are right for you. Make your prayers fit around the Sun times for your local area and your family’s traditions.

Why Is Chhath Puja Celebrated?

Chhath Puja is devoted to Surya Dev, the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, the Mother Goddess who is said to protect her children. Chhath Puja devotees worship the Sun God and seek his blessings for good health, prosperity, peace, and happiness.

Chhath has a strong cultural association with the Eastern Indian states of Bihar Jharkhand East UP and some regions of Nepal. As many people migrated outside the region and settled in other parts of India and abroad, Chhath has become an important festival for Indian diaspora.

One distinctive aspect of Chhath Puja is that worship is directed straight to the setting and rising Sun. The rituals are performed outdoors, typically near a river, pond, or other water body. Devotees do not require an elaborate temple ceremony to celebrate the festival.

At another level but the festival reminds viewers of different values; of discipline purity cleanliness gratitude respect for the natural environment. Making the offerings, keeping the cooking space clean and gathering on the edge of the river are all significant elements of this practice.

Four Days Of Chhath Puja 2026: Rituals And Traditions

Chhath Puja follows a four-day sequence. Each day prepares devotees for the main offerings to the Sun.

Day 1: Nahay Khay – November 13, 2026

Nahay Khay marks the start of Chhath Puja. On this day, devotees clean their homes and set up the cooking area before beginning the festival’s rituals. The person observing the fast, known as the vrati, takes a ritual bath and prepares a simple, sattvik meal.

Routine diet can contain rice, chana dal and bottle gourd(which is called as kaddu or lauki). The family does not add onion and garlic to the food cooked for the fast. Separate and purified cooking arrangements and utensils are used based on family preferences.

Nahay Khay stands for cleansing and readying yourself. This is the beginning of the high-standards fast and prayer that is to come.

Day 2: Kharna – November 14, 2026

Kharna/Lohanda second day of Chhath Puja: The vrati will be observing a fast all day, and then He/she will be preparing the traditional Chhath Puja offering.

Kharna prasad a typical Kharna Prasad is made of jaggery-based kheer combined with rice and milk, served with roti. The prasad is offered to the vrati in a prayer and then the vrati eats the prasad and shares it with family members.

The mettle nirjala fast is declared after the Kharna meal and is traditionally observed till the morning Arghya of the fourth day. The actual nirjala fast is to be observed as per the family and regional traditions of the devotee.

Day 3: Sandhya Arghya – November 15, 2026

Sandhya Arghya is the evening time prayer of the Chhath Puja. People make offerings and assemble in the river lake pond or a place having water before sunset.

The offerings are kept in earthen containers called thoora and biyar. The vrati places her head in water, faces Sun set, offers it Arghya, while the aartis are sung and offered.

Common offerings include:

• Thekua and other traditional sweets
• Bananas, coconuts, and seasonal fruits
• Sugarcane
• Rice-based offerings
• Radish and sweet potato
• Water and other items prepared as family tradition.

Sandhya Arghya Thanks the setting Sun. People normally fast with family, which assist in setting the fast and carry offerings, baskets, and support the farsanath.

Day 4: Usha Arghya and Parana – November 16, 2026

Usha Arghya is the last big ritual of Chhath Puja. The devotees offer ‘argh’ to the sun after sunrise. The vrati also offers the last argh and prays for the well-being of the family.

Usha Arghya after Usha Arghya, Vrat is concluded by parana. The vrati is broken as per family traditions and prasad is distributed to near and dear ones and devotees.

This culminating morning ceremony is an expression of gratitude, rejuvenation, and the culmination of the four-day festival.

Reuniting with loved ones for the four-day celebration? Explore Mumbai to USA flights for convenient travel options. 

Essential Chhath Puja Samagri For Celebrations In The USA

All puja items for families observing Chhath Puja in the United States can be easily bought from Indian grocery stores and from local markets/vendors in the Greater Washington area (buying seasonal vegetables and fruits). Getting all the required items ready a couple of days in advance is a good idea. 

Here are some commonly used items:

The items may vary between families and regions. If traditional bamboo baskets are difficult to find locally, community organizers or Indian grocery stores may be able to suggest suitable alternatives.

How To Celebrate Chhath Puja In The USA

Celebrating Chhath Puja away from India Couples celebrating the festival overseas might require some preparation on having their family close and if the locality is not near the river or the ghats that they usually visit. But that did not stop Indian families all over the US from celebrating the occasion. 

1. Join a Local Chhath Puja Community Celebration

Numerous Indian social and religious groups host Chhath celebrations for communities. These could feature spaces for Arghya, singing of Chhath bhajans, assembly of prasad, and settings to accommodate pious Chhath men and women on fast.

Inquire at a nearby Hindu temple, Bihari associations, Indian cultural organizations, or local community groups about any public celebration scheduled in your community.

2. Choose a Suitable and Permitted Water Body

Water the main substance in the Chhath Pooja is water. In the USA, some groups organize gatherings in the lakes, rivers, or special ponds. But, there are restrictions on public lakes and ponds since many of them do not permit religious congregations or usage of water.

Get approval before you select your site. Contact the local park authority or property manager to find out if you need an event permit. Make sure you are aware of restrictions for access, parking, and open flame use. Do not enter limited or unsafe water sites.

3. Prepare Traditional Prasad at Home

Preparing Food preparation has an important role to play in Chhath. At home, families can prepare thekua, and can also make jaggery kheer and set out fruits and other traditional offerings.

Children whose childhoods were marked by Chhath in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh could also take on family recipes for the festival, which their elders have made for decades or even centuries. Sharing a meal can help children learn about Chhath.

4. Involve Children and Younger Family Members

Chhath Puja is also an occasion for elder people to teach about Indian culture to the young children. For example, the parents can tell them the reason behind worshiping of Sun, the four-day procedure of Chhath Puja and the significance of Hygiene and discipline.

Children are involved in placing the fruits, creating the baskets (under adult supervision), watching and singing the traditional songs, and praying with family. All these small steps help preserve customs among future generations.

5. Observe the Rituals at Home When Necessary

All families living in the US will not be able to have a community ghat every family may be able to do it at home, on a terrace, or any other suitable place of their house, as per their family tradition.

When providing Arghya at home, use a clean & safe method for doing so, like a clean vessel or shallow water vessel. Advise to use the timing of local sunrise/sunset and traditions of your own family. 

Traditional Chhath Puja Food And Prasad

Food is a key thing of the festival as the festival preparations follow certain cleanliness and purity traditions. Chhath prasad is mostly cooked with great care and distributed among family members, neighbours, and other devotees. 

Some of the most familiar foods include:

• Thekua: Thekua is one of the most popular Chhath Puja Prasad. It is commonly made from wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee, and then rolled and deep-fried until crispy. Many households typically make these in advance of the ritual in the evening.
• Jaggery Kheer: made with rice, milk, and jaggery, it is also offered on the occasion of the Kharna. It is a delicious delicacy served as part of the evening meal that culminates the day’s fast.
• Fruits: commonly showcased seasonal fruits include bananas apples coconuts, and other fruits. The basket that contains these fruits might change based on available harvest and family traditions.
• Sugarcane: It’s a common offering that is also prepared and placed together with fruits and other prasad.
• Rice byproducts: Some families also send rice laddoos or other local delicacies, made of rice, as part of the Chhath gift.

The recipes and ingredients may differ from one household to another, but the emphasis remains on cleanliness, devotion and preparing the prasad with care.

Important Things To Remember While Celebrating Chhath Puja In America

Celebrating Chhath Puja in the USA may involve practical considerations that are different from observing it in India. Keep these points in mind while planning:

• Verify local Arghya timings: use the sunrise and sunset timings of your own city rather than Indian timings.
• Verify community plans: Please contact the organizers before the day of the event to know the place, time, and whether or not you should register.
• Local protocols: Ask before you host a gathering or ritual at a shared space like a public park or lake.
• Prepare samagri in advance: Arrange bamboo baskets, thekua ingredients, fruits, and other offerings before the festival starts.
• Safety in the water Avoid deep cold fast or boundaried waters: Adhere to safety advice from authorities and constant monitor children at all times.
• Honor the vrati’s requirements: Family members can assist with traveling, dish prep and also various other obligations while observing. 
• Respect your family’s customs: Decisions about traditional practices may differ in various parts of the world and between members of your family. When in doubt, speak with the relatives or community leaders you trust.

Chhath fasting can be physically challenging in particular the nirjala chhath without food or water. If you have a medical condition, pregnancy, or any other health issues, it is advised to have consult with your doctor before you go for a Nirjala Chhath fast. 

Celebrate Chhath Puja 2026 With Faith And Family

Chhath Puja is not just a 4-day festival but a festival of thanksgiving dedication togetherness with family and a sense of reverence to nature. Thekua at home, final preparations for Sandhya Arghya and return before sunrise for Usha Arghya every ritual has its own significance.

To Indian families residing in the United States, the festival acts as a link to their cultural heritage and a means to pass on traditions to future generations. If you are joining a local community gathering or performing the pujas at home, a little planning in advance can help you observe Chhath Puja 2026 with utmost reverence.

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Neha Sharma, a passionate travel blogger with more than 2 years and 6 months of experience, captures the beauty of the world through her words. With her adventurous spirit and a keen eye for detail, Neha takes her readers on mesmerizing journeys to exotic destinations. Her vivid descriptions and insightful tips make her the go-to guide for wanderlust seekers. Join Neha as she explores the globe, sharing her love for travel and inspiring others to go on their unforgettable adventures.