7 Best Places to celebrate Chhath Puja in India: Everything you need to know about ghats!

Why is Chhath Puja celebrated?

• Chhath Puja is celebrated to show gratitude and thankfulness to Sun God and Chhathi Maiya
• The Sun God is known to be the source of life on earth and provider of good health, and purifies the soul. 
• Chhath is celebrated to seek the blessing of Sun God and Chhathi Maiya.

Indeed, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the primary states celebrating Chhath Puja but you will be surprised to know that this annual fest isn’t just celebrated in India but in many international destinations too. Here in this blog, you can dive deep and read about the best places to celebrate Chhath Puja in India. Read more!

Chatth Puja: Celebration of Devotion and Faith!

This deep rooted and believed festival is entirely dedicated to Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya. This is a four-day festival usually celebrated twice a year. The first is Chaiti and Karthik Chhath. Before you get too curious and get busy in finding out the Chhath Puja destinations in India, you must also know and understand about the 4 days celebrations. Have a look!

Day 1 - Nahay Khay: It is the beginning of Mahaparv Chhath. This symbolises the purification and cleaning of body and soul. Usually, the devotees take a holy dip in rivers or any other water bodies for purification. Now, they prepare a meal on an earthen pot. 

Day 2 - Kharna: On this day, the devotees observe fast on an entire day. Now, they break their fast in the evening after offering prayers to the setting sun. They also prepare Kheer which is a rice pudding with roti that is flatbread. It is distributed amongst friends and families. 

Day 3 - Sandhya Arghya: This is the third day which is dedicated to Sun God during the sunset. Devotees gather on the bank of the river and offer water, jaggery, fruits, sweets and the very special Thekua to the God. The ritual involves offering water to the setting sun. 

Day 4 : Usha Arghya: This is the final day and on this day devotees offer prayer and arghya to the rising sun. They gather early in the morning on the riverbank to perform the last rituals. Traditional songs are played, and it is happily celebrated with friends and family. 

The Popular Places to visit in India for Chhath Puja Celebrations!

This beautiful festival is celebrated across the world as devotees gather in different locations, destinations, states, and countries on the river banks to celebrate it. Even the local Government makes special arrangements for the celebrations. Here are a few of the most famous Chhath ghats in India that are given below, you can have a look!

Patna, Bihar  

Undeniably, Patna is one of the best places to celebrate Chhath Puja as it is the primary and main festival of Bihar. Yes, there are best places to visit in India during Chhath and surely one of them which is at the top is Patna. As it is the capital of Bihar, devotees travel to Patna to experience Chhath. The devotees perform rituals and perform Chhath Puja at Ganga ghats. 

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 

There are many famous Chhath Ghats in India located in Varanasi and maybe that’s why devotees from different parts of the world travel to witness the vibe of Varanasi especially during the Chhath Puja. You can also spot international crowds here. 

Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh 

You can celebrate Chhath Puja at Yamuna ghats here as it is beautifully decorated and properly cleaned. This destination is extremely popular because of the Kumbh Mela. Devotees also observe Nirjala Vrat and gather on Saraswati Ghat and other ghats at Sangam. 

Gaya, Bihar 

This is also one of the most famous Chhath Puja celebrations in India and devotees visit this beautiful destination just to be a part of this divine and traditional festival. If this is the first time you are attending this festival, you must keep Gaya, Bihar in your list. The Falgu River is where the main celebrations take place. 

Ranchi & Jamshedpur, Jharkhand 

Even Jharkhand is one of the best places to celebrate Chhath puja in India. People gather at lakes and rivers to offer prayer to the Sun God. In Ranchi, Kanke Dam and in Jamshedpur, Dimna Lake are popular spots. 

Delhi - NCR 

Devotees gather to celebrate Chhath Puja at Yamuna Ghats in Delhi NCR.  All the arrangements are done, even artificial ghats are made and you can witness huge celebrations near Kalindi Kunj, ITO Okhla and Nigambodh Ghat. So, if you are in Delhi and wish to celebrate Chhath, you can go to these ghats. You can celebrate Chhath puja in Delhi as this beautiful festival is extensively celebrated. 

Kolkata, West Bengal 

The city is blessed with tradition and culture and maybe that’s why people are extremely enthusiastic when it comes to celebrations. Celebrated on the banks of the Hoogly river which is popular for its festivities, cultural events. You can also find people celebrating around the popular water bodies including Kasba, Mukundapur, Lake Gardens and many others. 

Along with this, there are many famous Chhath Ghats in India in different destinations like Mumbai, Maharashtra, Darbhanga Bihar, Muzaffarpur, Bihar Madhubani and many others. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, while going through this blog you would have understood about the best places to celebrate Chhath Puja in India. In case, you wish to dive deep about the tradition, culture and festivals, you can read extensively about this on India travel guide. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are few of the most popular Chhath Ghats in India?

Few of the most famous Chhath Puja Ghat are located in Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh 

Which is the biggest Chhath ghat in India?

The biggest Chhath Ghat in India is  Torwa Chhath Ghat which is located along the Arpa River in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. 

Which God is worshipped in Chhath Puja?

Surya dev and Chhathi Maiya 

What is the date of Chhath Puja, 2026?

Nahay Khaye on Friday 13th November, Kharna on Saturday 14th November, Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15th November, and Usha Arghya, Monday 16th.