Chhath Puja 2027 runs November 2-5: Nahay Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya (evening offering to the setting sun, November 4), and Usha Arghya (morning offering to the rising sun, November 5). For Bihari and Purvanchali families in the US, the dates match India’s, but the arghya times are entirely tied to your own local sunrise and sunset.

Chhath is arguably the most rigorous vrat in the Hindu calendar. No temple needed, no priest required, just the vratin standing in water offering arghya directly to Surya Dev. That simplicity is what makes it so powerful and so portable. Families in New Jersey, Houston, Chicago, and the Bay Area have been observing Chhath for decades, and the ritual works exactly the same way it does on the banks of the Ganga. You just need to know your local sun times.

Why this is entirely about your local sun times

Arghya is offered at the moment of sunset (Sandhya Arghya, November 4) and sunrise (Usha Arghya, November 5). These are, by definition, local astronomical events; an India-published clock time for Patna or Delhi has no direct bearing on when the sun sets or rises in your US city.

In early November, US cities see very different sun times from each other. Sunset in New York on November 4 is around 4:45 PM, while in Los Angeles it’s closer to 5:55 PM. That’s over an hour of difference. The next morning’s sunrise varies similarly: around 6:30 AM Eastern vs 6:15 AM Pacific, but with the 3-hour time zone gap, the actual clock times feel very different when you’re planning the vigil.

The four-day sequence in detail

  • Day 1 (November 2): Nahay Khay - The vratin bathes in a river or clean water body at sunrise, then cooks a meal of lauki (bottle gourd) with chana dal and rice using mango wood or an earthen stove. This is the last full meal before the serious fasting begins.
  • Day 2 (November 3): Kharna - After a full day of fasting, the vratin breaks the fast in the evening with kheer (made of new rice, jaggery, and milk) and roti. This meal is offered as prasad to family and neighbors first.
  • Day 3 (November 4): Sandhya Arghya - The main evening. The vratin stands in knee-deep water at sunset, offering arghya to the setting sun with a soop (bamboo tray) loaded with thekua, fruits, and sugarcane. The 36-hour nirjala fast begins after this.
  • Day 4 (November 5): Usha Arghya - Before sunrise, the vratin returns to the water body to offer arghya to the rising sun. The fast breaks after this offering. This is the culmination.

The 36-hour fast in between

Vratins observe a roughly 36-hour nirjala fast from Kharna’s evening through Usha Arghya the next morning, so knowing your local sunset on the 4th and sunrise on the 5th in advance helps plan the fast’s timing precisely. In cold November weather in northern US cities, this requires real preparation: warm clothing for the pre-dawn vigil, a safe water body or lakefront location scouted in advance, and family support for the overnight stretch.

Many Indian communities in Edison (NJ), Sugar Land (TX), and Naperville (IL) organize group Chhath celebrations at local lakes and reservoirs. If you’re new to an area, check with your local Bihari or UP association.

Getting your city’s exact times

Use the panchang page with your US city selected to see the exact sunset for November 4 and sunrise for November 5. These are the two non-negotiable data points for Chhath, so get them for your actual city rather than estimating.