Chhath Parva 2026: Dates and Where to See It in Kathmandu

Chhath Parva 2026 runs from Friday 13 to Monday 16 November. Here's what happens on each of the four days, where to see it in Kathmandu, and how to watch without getting in anyone's way.

Tihar's lamps have barely cooled when the riverbanks start filling up again. Chhath is a festival of thanks to Surya, the sun god, and to Chhathi Maiya. It belongs mainly to the Mithila and Terai communities of southern Nepal, but Kathmandu now celebrates it in a big way too.

Chhath Parva 2026 dates

Chhath follows the lunar calendar, so the dates move every year. In 2026 it falls in the bright half of Kartik:

• Fri 13 Nov – Nahay Khay: a ritual bath, a cleaned home and one simple vegetarian meal to begin the fast.

• Sat 14 Nov – Kharna: a day-long fast, broken at dusk with kheer (rice pudding) and roti.

• Sun 15 Nov – Sandhya Arghya: the main day. Devotees offer arghya to the setting sun from the water's edge. It's a public holiday in Nepal.

• Mon 16 Nov – Usha Arghya: offerings to the rising sun at dawn, and the fast ends.

What you'll see

Chhath is quiet, devotional and incredibly photogenic. Women who keep the vrat (fast) stand waist-deep in rivers and ponds as the sun drops, holding bamboo baskets of fruit and other offerings. Families crowd the banks behind them. Ghats are strung with lights and decorations days in advance.

The fast is strict. Many devotees go without food or water from Kharna evening until the final dawn offering. That's worth remembering when you're standing next to someone who hasn't eaten in a day and a half.

Where to see Chhath in Kathmandu

Kathmandu Metropolitan City usually names official Chhath venues each year, and the ponds and riverbanks fill up fast. These have been the busiest in recent years:

• Kamal Pokhari: the city's biggest Chhath gathering, with tents, lights and huge crowds on the main evening.

• Gaurighat, on the Bagmati near Pashupatinath: riverbank rituals with temple roofs behind them. Also busy at dawn on the last day.

• Bagmati banks at Thapathali and Kupondole: good if you're staying in Patan (Lalitpur).

• Ramghat and Balkhu: also on the city's list of Chhath venues in recent years.

Outside the valley, Chhath is at its biggest across the Terai, including along the Narayani River in Chitwan.

How to join, and what it costs

Watching is free and open to everyone. Arrive about an hour before sunset on Sunday 15 November to find a spot on the bank. For the dawn offering on Monday, plan to be there before first light; it gets cold by the water in mid-November, so bring a layer.

Public transport gets slow around the main ghats in the late afternoon. Walking the last stretch is usually faster.

Chhath etiquette

• Give devotees the water's edge. The front line belongs to people offering arghya. Watch from behind.

• Don't touch the offerings. Baskets and puja items are prepared with strict rules about purity.

• Ask before close-up photos. Wide shots are fine. Pushing a lens into someone's prayer is not.

• No food in hand near the ghats. Snacking in front of people on a waterless fast is a bad look.

• Leave the shoes behind if you step onto a decorated ghat platform.

Loku's tip: the dawn offering on the last day is calmer and softer than Sunday evening. Fewer crowds, mist on the water, and the whole city slowly waking up.

Plan your next festival

Nepal's festival calendar moves with the moon, which makes planning tricky. Subscribe to The Lokoon Letter for festival dates and where-to-go ideas, sent to your inbox each month.