Chhath Puja in Chidambaram

Date and timing in this city

In Chidambaram (चिदम्बरम), Chhath Puja falls on Kartik Shukla Shashthi. For 2026, the date computed for Chidambaram is Sunday 15 November 2026. For 2027, it is Thursday 4 November 2027. Chidambaram observes India Standard Time (Asia/Kolkata).

The festival is dedicated to Surya and Chhathi Maiya, and its central observance is sun worship at rivers.

Why the date can differ from India

Chhath Puja is tied to the tithi Kartik Shukla Shashthi, and the tithi is reckoned from local sunrise and sunset. Because the sun rises at slightly different moments across the country, the same tithi can begin and end at different clock times in different places. A date that applies to one part of India may therefore not match the date observed in Chidambaram, and the Chidambaram dates above are the ones computed for this city's own sunrise.

Where traditions differ — for example in the amanta and purnimanta reckonings of the lunar month, or between regional customs — families and communities may follow their own inherited practice. It is best to confirm the exact day and the arghya timings with a qualified jyotishi or the family's own panchang rather than assuming a single national date.

Where and how the community celebrates

Chhath Puja is most widely observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. In Chidambaram, families with roots in those regions carry the observance with them, keeping the same essentials: a period of fasting, standing in or beside water, and offering arghya to the setting and rising sun.

The form is simple and portable. Devotees prepare offerings at home, then gather at a river or other water body at sunset and again at sunrise. The vrat is kept for Surya and Chhathi Maiya, and the worship is directed to the sun rather than to any fixed shrine. Because the practice travels with the family, the gathering in Chidambaram may be small and informal; the ritual itself does not depend on a particular venue.

Practical tips

• Confirm the local date and arghya timings for Chidambaram against a trusted panchang before the vrat.
• Plan for two sittings — sunset and the following sunrise — and arrange transport to the water accordingly.
• Keep the offerings and the fast in the form followed by your own family tradition.
• For questions about your personal observance or chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.