Chhath Puja in Dharmasthala

Date and timing in this city

In Dharmasthala, Chhath Puja falls on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, the sixth tithi of the bright fortnight of Kartik. The observance is dedicated to Surya and to Chhathi Maiya, and its central act is sun worship at rivers.

For Dharmasthala (धर्मस्थल), India, the date computed for the city's own sunrise is:

• 2026: Sunday 15 November 2026
• 2027: Thursday 4 November 2027

Dharmasthala follows the Asia/Kolkata time zone. Because the tithi is reckoned against local sunrise rather than a single national clock, the day observed here is the one that matches Dharmasthala's own sunrise, not the date printed for another region.

Why the date can differ from India

Chhath Puja is widely observed across Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, and the festival date is not decided by geography alone. The tithi is a lunar measurement; it begins and ends at moments that do not align with the 24-hour civil day. When a tithi touches two sunrises, or is truncated by the next tithi, different towns can legitimately arrive at different dates.

This is why a panchang prepared for Dharmasthala may show a date that differs from a general all-India listing. Traditions also differ in how the lunar month is reckoned — some follow the amanta system, others the purnimanta — so readers comparing calendars should check which convention their own panchang uses rather than assuming one is correct. For personal observance, consulting a qualified jyotishi is the safer route.

Where and how the community celebrates

Chhath is a festival of the riverbank and the setting and rising sun. Devotees gather at water — rivers, ponds, tanks — to offer arghya to Surya, standing in or beside the water as the sun goes down and again as it comes up. The vrat is demanding: fasting, abstinence and a night spent near the water are customary, and the offerings are traditionally vegetarian and prepared with care.

In a town like Dharmasthala, families who keep the vrat usually observe it at whatever water is nearest and suitable, following the same sequence of evening and morning arghya. Customs vary by family and region, so the details of the prasad, the number of offerings and the exact ritual order are best learned from one's own elders or family tradition.

Practical tips

• Confirm the tithi against a panchang computed for Dharmasthala's sunrise, not a national listing.
• Note that 2026 and 2027 fall on different weekdays; plan the fast and the night vigil accordingly.
• Arrange access to a river, pond or tank in advance, since the arghya is offered at sunset and sunrise.
• Keep the fast within what is medically safe for you; the brief makes no health claims.
• Where family and regional customs differ, follow your own tradition.