Chhath Puja in Dubai

Date and timing in Dubai

In Dubai (दुबई), United Arab Emirates, Chhath Puja falls on Sunday 15 November 2026. The following year it falls on Wednesday 3 November 2027. These dates are computed for Dubai's own sunrise, in the Asia/Dubai time zone, and not simply copied from an Indian calendar.

The festival is tied to Kartik Shukla Shashthi — the sixth tithi of the bright fortnight of Kartik. Because the tithi is reckoned from local sunrise, the day observed in Dubai can differ from the day observed in India.

Why the date can differ from India

A tithi is a segment of the Moon's movement measured from the Sun, and it does not begin or end at the same clock time everywhere. Dubai sits west of India, so its sunrise arrives later in absolute terms. When a tithi begins or ends close to a sunrise, that gap can push the observance to the next day in one place and not the other.

Chhath is a sunrise-and-sunset observance, so the local sunrise is not a minor detail — it is the anchor. Families in the diaspora who follow a panchang printed for India may find their date shifted by a day. Checking a panchang computed for Dubai's coordinates and time zone keeps the fast, the evening arghya and the morning arghya aligned with the local Sun.

Where traditions differ — amanta and purnimanta reckonings of the Kartik month, and regional variations across North India and Nepal — the Shashthi tithi itself remains the reference point. Readers are encouraged to follow the practice of their own family and, for personal charts, to consult a qualified jyotishi.

Where and how the community celebrates

Chhath Puja is dedicated to Surya and to Chhathi Maiya. In its homeland — Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal — the central observance is sun worship at rivers, with offerings made standing in or beside the water at sunset and again at sunrise.

In Dubai, the same structure holds, adapted to the surroundings. Devotees gather near water where they can, or set up a clean space at home facing the direction of the rising and setting Sun. The essentials travel well: a bamboo or cane basket, thekua and other prasad, fruits, sugarcane, and a calm, seated discipline through the night. The community here is scattered rather than concentrated, so many households observe together with neighbours and friends who share the tradition.

Practical tips

• Confirm the date against a panchang computed for Dubai's sunrise, not an India-printed one.
• Note both timings — the evening arghya at sunset and the morning arghya at sunrise — since these are the two fixed points of the vrat.
• Plan the water arrangement in advance; a clean, quiet spot matters more than the size of the gathering.
• Prepare prasad simply, in the manner your family follows.
• Keep the fast within your own capacity and health, and seek medical advice where needed.