Chhath Puja 2026 in the UAE runs from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November, with the main Sandhya Arghya offering to the setting sun on Sunday, 15 November. This four-day festival honours Surya Dev, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya, and is one of the most physically demanding vrats in the Hindu calendar, kept mainly by families from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and the Terai region of Nepal. In the UAE, it has grown into a visible community observance as the Bihari and Purvanchali diaspora has grown.

Chhath Puja 2026 UAE Dates and Timings

Chhath is a solar festival, so its four days are fixed to sunrise and sunset in Dubai rather than to a muhurat window, and Rahu Kaal or Choghadiya do not apply the way they do for other pujas. Here is the full schedule, sourced for Dubai:

Shashthi Tithi, the lunar day the main puja is named for, begins at 9:53 PM on 14 November and runs until 12:30 AM on 16 November, Dubai time. These are UAE local timings and they differ from the timings published on Indian panchang sites for cities such as Patna or Delhi, since sunrise and sunset are both local. Sharjah and Ajman sit within a minute or two of Dubai, and Abu Dhabi about four minutes behind, so the Dubai figures above cover the whole UAE.

Chhath Puja in the UAE

Sandhya Arghya, the main evening ritual, falls on a Sunday this year, which is a UAE weekend day, so families do not need to take leave to stand in water at sunset with the full household present. Usha Arghya the next morning falls before sunrise on a working Monday, which does not conflict with office hours since the ritual is completed and the fast broken well before the workday starts. Because natural riverbanks are not available here, UAE households generally keep the arghya at home with a tub or large vessel of water in a courtyard or balcony, or gather with their community at the sea or a creek-side spot where local authorities permit it. Anyone planning a shared or public gathering should confirm the exact venue and any permissions with their local community association, since arrangements can change year to year.

The Four Days of Chhath: What Happens Each Day

Nahay Khay opens the vrat with a ritual bath, often in a river, sea or simply at home, followed by a single satvik meal, typically kaddu-bhaat (bottle gourd and rice) cooked without onion or garlic. Kharna is a full day's fast without water, broken only after sunset with kheer made of jaggery and rice, along with roti, which is first offered to Chhathi Maiya and then eaten by the observer, called a Vrati.

The Vrati then keeps a fast without food or water for roughly 36 hours, through Sandhya Arghya and up to Usha Arghya the next morning. For Sandhya Arghya, the family gathers at the water's edge at sunset with a soop or bamboo winnowing tray holding fruit, sugarcane, thekua and other offerings, and the Vrati stands in the water to offer arghya to the setting sun. The same offering is repeated at sunrise the next day for Usha Arghya, after which the Vrati breaks the fast and the festival closes with Parana.

Why Chhath Puja Matters

Chhath is offered to Surya, the Sun God, as the visible source of life and energy, and to Chhathi Maiya, worshipped as a form of the goddess who protects children and blesses families with health and prosperity. Unlike most Hindu festivals, no murti or idol is used; the sun itself, rising and setting, is the object of worship, which is part of why the ritual is performed at open water rather than at a home altar. The vrat is known for its rigour, a near two-day fast without water, and is most commonly kept for the wellbeing and long life of one's children, though many Vratis keep it for the health and prosperity of the whole family.

Chhath Puja falls in the same Kartik-month stretch as Diwali and Bhai Dooj, and closes the run of major autumn festivals before Kartik Purnima and Guru Nanak Jayanti. Anyone tracking the rest of this month's dates can read our Kartik Purnima 2026 UAE date and puja vidhi guide and our Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 UAE date guide, both of which fall the following week.

Chhath Puja 2026 FAQs

When is Chhath Puja in 2026 in the UAE?

Chhath Puja runs from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November 2026 in Dubai and across the UAE. The main Sandhya Arghya falls on Sunday, 15 November.

What are the four days of Chhath Puja?

Nahay Khay (holy bath and a single meal), Kharna (a day-long fast broken at night with kheer and roti), Sandhya Arghya (evening offering to the setting sun) and Usha Arghya with Parana (morning offering, fast broken).

What time is Sandhya Arghya in Dubai this year?

Sunset in Dubai on 15 November 2026 is at 5:32 PM. The evening arghya is offered to the setting sun at that time.

What time is Usha Arghya and when does the fast end?

Sunrise in Dubai on 16 November 2026 is at 6:37 AM. The morning arghya is offered at sunrise, after which the roughly 36-hour fast ends with Parana.

Do Rahu Kaal or Choghadiya apply to Chhath Puja timings?

No. Chhath is tied directly to sunrise and sunset, not to a muhurat window, so Rahu Kaal and Choghadiya selection rules that apply to festivals like Diwali or Navratri do not apply here.

Who is worshipped during Chhath Puja?

Surya Dev, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya, worshipped for the health and long life of one's children and the wellbeing of the family. No murti is used - the rising and setting sun itself is the object of worship.

What is eaten during Chhath Puja, and what is avoided?

Food is strictly satvik throughout, without onion, garlic or salt in the Nahay Khay meal, with kaddu-bhaat on day one, kheer and roti at Kharna, and offerings of thekua, fruit and sugarcane at both arghya. The observing Vrati eats nothing at all between Kharna on day two and Parana on day four.

Is Chhath Puja widely observed in the UAE?

Yes. It has grown steadily alongside the Bihari and Purvanchali community in the UAE, with many families keeping the arghya at home and some gathering at the sea or a creek-side spot with their community where local permissions allow it.

Puja essentials for Chhath

Diyas and thali for the home arghya, in stock and ready to ship across the UAE.

Crystal-Adorned Brass Akhand Diya

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Rui Batti - Kesar Tip Cotton Wicks

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Brass Pooja Thali with Engraved Floral Design

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For the rest of the Kartik-month calendar, see our guides to Bhai Dooj 2026 and Kartik Purnima 2026, or browse the full Diwali Specials collection for diyas and puja items.