Kathmandu — Chhath Festival 2083 is being observed across Nepal, with the main day falling on Sunday, November 15, 2026 (Kartik 29, 2083 BS). The four-day festival began with Nahay Khay and will conclude on Monday morning with Usha Arghya, the offering to the rising sun.
The main ritual on Sunday is Sandhya Arghya, during which devotees offer arghya to the setting sun from riverbanks, ponds and specially prepared ghats. Devotees gather at these sites with traditional offerings while observing the festival’s rituals and fasting practices.
In Kathmandu, President Ram Chandra Paudel, accompanied by First Lady Sabita Paudel, visited the Chhath worship site at Gaurighat on the Bagmati River, in front of the Guhyeshwari Temple in the Pashupati area. He performed worship and offered arghya to the setting sun.
Chhath celebrations have expanded across the Kathmandu Valley, with preparations made at 17 locations this year. These include Gaurighat, Guhyeshwari, Kamal Pokhari, Thapathali, Teku, Bansighat, Kupandole, Balkhu, Bishnumati and Nakhhu riverbanks.
The Guhyeshwari–Gaurighat area has been prepared with hundreds of dedicated ghats. Recent preparations included cleaning, levelling and lighting areas along the Bagmati River to accommodate devotees participating in the festival.
Chhath is primarily dedicated to Surya Dev, the Sun God, and Chhathi Mata. Devotees express gratitude to the sun and nature and pray for the health, well-being, prosperity and long life of their families.
The festival has particular cultural significance in Nepal’s Terai-Madhesh region, but its observance has increasingly spread to Kathmandu and other parts of the country. The growing celebrations in the capital also reflect the diversity of Nepal’s cultural and religious traditions.
Chhath is closely associated with nature and water, as devotees traditionally perform their prayers beside rivers, ponds and other water bodies. The festival therefore places particular importance on clean and accessible public spaces where the rituals can be performed.
The four-day observance concludes on Monday, November 16, with Usha Arghya, when devotees offer prayers to the rising sun. This final ritual marks the completion of Chhath Festival 2083.
