The uniqueness of Chhath Puja lies in the fact that the devotees worship the Sun during sunrise and sunset. The evening Sandhya Arghya is offered to thank Surya for the light and energy of the day, and the next morning’s Usha Arghya welcomes renewal, hope and blessings for the future.
Chhath Puja 2026 Date and Time:
Chhath Puja is also referred to as Surya Shashthi and is celebrated during the month of Kartika, mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Nepal. It is a four-day festival dedicated to the Sun God Surya and Chhathi Maiya, who is associated with family welfare, the well-being of children and protection.
In 2026, the main rituals are in mid-November: the Sandhya Arghya on the evening of the third day and the Usha Arghya on the final morning. Devotees gather at rivers, ponds, and other water bodies, stand in water and offer arghya (water, milk, and traditional offerings) to the Sun.
Why worship at the setting sun?
In most Hindu traditions, sunrise is associated with prayer and new beginnings. But in Chhath Puja, equal spiritual importance is given to the sunset. On the third day, devotees offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting Sun to thank him for the light, warmth and energy that he has provided during the day.
The setting Sun signifies completion, not loss. It is the end of a day’s work, the ripening of fruit, the circle of nature on which life depends. At sunset, the devotees worship the Sun, acknowledging what has been received, not just praying for what is yet to come.
This practice is also an expression of Chhath’s close association with agrarian life. The sun is an important source of light for crops, food and people’s livelihood. After the harvest season is over, the festival is a way of thanking nature for its abundance and praying for its continued well-being.
Why do people worship the rising Sun?
The next morning, before dawn, the devotees again gather at the water’s edge for Usha Arghya. As the Sun rises, they pray for health, prosperity, family happiness and a positive future. The rising Sun signifies a new beginning, new energy and hope.
The morning ritual also marks the end of the difficult fast. Most devotees observe a strict nirjala fast, without even drinking water, through the night after the evening offering. They do Parana, the ritual breaking of the fast, only after the Usha Arghya.
The two offerings together make a complete cycle - in the evening you thank the Sun for the day that has passed, and in the morning you welcome its return and ask for blessings for the days ahead.
The deeper meaning:
To worship the setting and rising Sun is to voice a philosophy of balance. Chhath reminds us of the dignity of beginnings and endings, of success and struggle, of light and dark, all of which are part of the same natural order.
During difficult or transitional periods of their lives, this festival reminds the devotees to thank it. The Sun goes down and comes back up, and an end can be a new beginning. That’s why the sunset-first sequence is so important, because it starts with gratitude and ends with hope.
A celebration of nature and community:
Chhath Puja is not about idols or pujas performed by priests. Devotees pray to the Sun and nature directly with water, fruits, sugarcane, thekua and other offerings prepared with care and purity.
The ghats turn into places of collective worship where families, neighbours, and communities sing traditional songs and support each other in the course of the fast. This is a common practice, and it reinforces the message of Chhath, which is about thankfulness, discipline, ecological respect and solidarity of family.
Chhath is a celebration of the entire journey of the Sun, not just the brightest moment of the Sun. That is why devotees worship the setting and rising Sun. It celebrates the continuity of life. Thanks to the past. Live in the moment. Welcome to the future.
