Chhath Puja in Birmingham

Date and timing in this city

Chhath Puja is observed on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, the sixth day of the bright fortnight of Kartik. The festival is dedicated to Surya, the Sun, and to Chhathi Maiya, and its central observance is sun worship at rivers.

For Birmingham (बर्मिंघम), United Kingdom, the date computed for the city's own sunrise is:

• 2026: Sunday 15 November 2026
• 2027: Wednesday 3 November 2027

Birmingham falls in the Europe/London time zone. Because the tithi is reckoned against the local sunrise of the place where the vrat is kept, the date given above is the one that applies to Birmingham itself, not to Patna, Ranchi or Kathmandu.

Why the date can differ from India

Chhath Puja is observed across Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, where the sunrise is several hours ahead of Birmingham's. A tithi begins and ends at fixed moments, but the day to which it is assigned depends on which sunrise is used. When the tithi's span falls between two sunrises in one place and between a different pair in another, the observance can land on different calendar dates.

This is why families in the diaspora sometimes find that the Birmingham date and the date being followed in India do not match. Neither is an error; each follows the local sunrise of the place of observance. In Birmingham, the dates above are the ones to work from. Where family or community practice differs — and traditions do differ on such points — it is reasonable to follow the date observed by the household or the local group, while noting the sunrise-based reckoning for the city.

Where and how the community celebrates

Chhath Puja centres on standing in or beside water at sunset and again at sunrise, offering arghya to Surya. In the regions named above, riverbanks and ponds host the main gatherings. In a city like Birmingham, the same structure is followed wherever there is access to water, and the vrat itself — the fasting, the offerings, the songs to Chhathi Maiya — remains the heart of the observance regardless of setting.

Details of local arrangements vary from year to year and from group to group, so those planning to attend are best guided by the community they usually observe with.

Practical tips

• Note the Birmingham dates: Sunday 15 November 2026 and Wednesday 3 November 2027.
• Confirm the exact sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham closer to the day, since the arghya is timed to them.
• Dress for cold and damp November weather; the evening offering in particular can be long and outdoors.
• If you are unsure how the tithi applies to your own observance, consult a qualified jyotishi rather than relying on a general rule.