✍️ By Rahul Goyal · Chandigarh Life
Quick answer: Chhath Puja 2026 runs 13-16 November across the tricity. Chandigarh’s main ghat is Sector 42 Lake, prepared by the Administration’s Engineering Department before Chhath in 2025. In 2025 the Haryana Chief Minister addressed a state-level Chhath Puja festival held in Panchkula, while Mohali district sees celebrations across Dera Bassi, Mubarikpur, Lalru and Balongi, and Zirakpur marks it at the local mela ground.
Date last checked on 7 October 2026 against the Chandigarh Administration’s 2026 holiday list.
Every 2026 festival date, with its weekday and whether it is a holiday in Chandigarh, is in our Chandigarh festival calendar.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| 2026 dates | Friday 13 November (Nahay Khay) to Monday 16 November (Usha Arghya) |
| Sandhya Arghya, evening | Sunday 15 November 2026, sunset 05:26 PM, calculated for Chandigarh |
| Usha Arghya, morning | Monday 16 November 2026, sunrise 06:50 AM, calculated for Chandigarh |
| Holiday status | Restricted holiday in Chandigarh on Sunday 15 November 2026 |
| 2027 dates | Tuesday 2 November 2027 to Friday 5 November 2027, Sandhya Arghya on Thursday 4 November 2027 |
Chhath Puja is one of the most visible festivals of the tricity’s Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh community — a four-day observance built entirely around sunrise and sunset offerings to the Sun god, at a handful of specific ghats that fill with devotees each November.
Chhath Puja 2026 Dates
| Day | 2026 Date | Ritual |
|---|---|---|
| Nahay Khay | Friday, 13 November | Ritual bath and a single satvik meal |
| Kharna | Saturday, 14 November | Day-long fast with no water, broken in the evening with jaggery kheer and roti |
| Sandhya Arghya | Sunday, 15 November | Evening offering to the setting sun at the ghat |
| Usha Arghya | Monday, 16 November | Morning offering to the rising sun; fast concludes |
Exact sunrise and sunset times for the arghya offerings are location-specific — check a current Chandigarh panchang for the precise minute-level timing closer to the date.
Chandigarh: Sector 42 Lake
Chandigarh’s main Chhath ghat is Sector 42 Lake, not Sukhna Lake — the Administration’s Engineering Department prepared the lake before Chhath in 2025, and the Purvanchal Welfare Association, Chandigarh, thanked the Administration for the arrangements: CCTV cameras, a 24×7 control room, dedicated lighting with power backup, a repaired and painted bridge at the lake, and dedicated parking. Folk singers from eastern Uttar Pradesh typically perform through the evening as thousands gather for the Sandhya and Usha Arghya offerings.
Panchkula: Ghaggar River
In 2025 the Haryana Chief Minister addressed a state-level Chhath Puja festival held in Panchkula and worshipped at the Chhath Ghat there. The official release does not name the river or the sector, so confirm the ghat with the Chhath Puja Committee, Panchkula. — the same river used for Ganesh Visarjan earlier in the year, at Sector 21. The district administration coordinates cleanliness, drinking water, lighting and security arrangements specifically for the festival.
Mohali & Zirakpur
Mohali district sees Chhath celebrations spread across Dera Bassi, Mubarikpur, Lalru, Balongi and Phase 9 — Dera Bassi specifically uses Ram Talai, the Ghaggar, and an artificial pond in Mubarikpur as ghats. In Zirakpur, celebrations are centred on pandals at the local mela ground.
Who Organises It
Chhath Puja across the tricity is organised chiefly by community samitis of the Bihar and eastern UP diaspora, with the Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration preparing Sector 42 Lake, and, in Panchkula, the Deputy Commissioner and Police Commissioner attending the 2025 state-level festival.
🎥 Watch: On Chandigarh Life
Panchkula: what the official record says
The Haryana Chief Minister’s Office reported that the Chief Minister addressed a state-level Chhath Puja festival held in Panchkula, in a release dated 27 October 2025. It says he worshipped Chhath Maiya, offered water to the setting sun at the ghat and announced that demands related to beautifying the Chhath Ghat would be fulfilled, naming the Chhath Puja Committee, Panchkula. The same release states that a ghat for Chhath Puja has been built in Panchkula, and lists the Deputy Commissioner and the Police Commissioner among those present.
The release does not give the sector or the river. Before you travel, confirm the exact ghat and the programme with the Chhath Puja Committee, Panchkula, or the district administration.
Before you go to the ghat
- Traffic: the Chandigarh Traffic Police run a helpline on 1073. We did not find a Chhath-specific advisory on their homepage.
- Timing: plan around the calculated sunset and sunrise in the table above, and arrive before them, since the offering is made at those moments.
- Food you will see offered: thekua, made from wheat flour, jaggery and ghee, is described as the most iconic offering. Chhath dishes are cooked without onion or garlic.
- Fasting devotees: on Kharna they take no water all day and eat jaggery kheer with roti in the evening.
More festival guides
- Bhai Dooj in Chandigarh: Wednesday, 11 November.
- Diwali in Chandigarh: Sunday, 8 November.
- Govardhan Puja in Chandigarh: Monday, 9 November by the government list, Tuesday, 10 November by the panchang.
- Gurpurab in Chandigarh: Guru Nanak Jayanti on Tuesday, 24 November.
- Chandigarh festival calendar 2026: every date, verified.
FAQ’s
When is Chhath Puja 2026?
13 to 16 November 2026 — Nahay Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya.
Where is Chhath Puja celebrated in Chandigarh?
The main ghat is Sector 42 Lake, not Sukhna Lake.
Where is Chhath Puja celebrated in Panchkula?
In 2025 the Haryana Chief Minister addressed a state-level Chhath Puja festival held in Panchkula and worshipped at the Chhath Ghat there. The official release does not name the river or the sector, so confirm the ghat with the Chhath Puja Committee, Panchkula.
Is Chhath Puja celebrated in Mohali and Zirakpur too?
Yes — Mohali district sees celebrations across Dera Bassi, Mubarikpur, Lalru, Balongi and Phase 9, while Zirakpur marks it at the local mela ground.
When is Chhath Puja 2026 in Chandigarh?
Chhath Puja 2026 runs from Friday 13 November (Nahay Khay) to Monday 16 November (Usha Arghya), with Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 November. The Chandigarh Administration lists Sunday 15 November as a restricted holiday.
What time is the evening arghya on 15 November 2026 in Chandigarh?
Sunset in Chandigarh is calculated at 05:26 PM on Sunday 15 November 2026, and the morning arghya follows at sunrise, calculated at 06:50 AM on Monday 16 November.
When is Chhath Puja 2027?
Drik Panchang calculates Sandhya Arghya for Thursday 4 November 2027 in Chandigarh, and the central government’s 2027 list also gives 4 November. The four days run from Tuesday 2 November 2027 to Friday 5 November 2027.
Sources
- Drik Panchang, Chhath Puja calendar 2026 for Chandigarh
- Chandigarh Administration DPR press release, 25 October 2025
- DoPT, Government of India, holiday list for 2027
- Drik Panchang, Chhath Puja calendar 2027 for Chandigarh
- Haryana Chief Minister’s Office press release, 27 October 2025 (Panchkula)
- Wikipedia, Chhath
- Chandigarh Traffic Police
- Chandigarh Administration, Home Department holiday notification for 2026 (30 December 2025)
- Chandigarh Administration DPR press release, 21 October 2025
The facts added to this page on 20 September 2026 were checked against the sources above.
