Chhath Puja is the one festival devoted entirely to the Sun, both as it sets and as it rises. In 2026 the four days run from 13 to 16 November, and they coincide with one of the rarest planetary gatherings of the century. Mars, Jupiter and Ketu meet in Magha nakshatra in Leo, the Sun’s own sign, exactly on the days of the two arghyas. Such a union in Magha last took place in 1635.
Chhath Puja 2026 Dates
·13 November, Friday: Nahay Khay·14 November, Saturday: Kharna, after which the 36-hour waterless fast begins·15 November, Sunday: Sandhya Arghya to the setting Sun·16 November, Monday: Usha Arghya to the rising Sun, followed by paranaThe offerings follow local sunset and sunrise. On 15 November, the sun sets at about 5:00 PM in Patna and about 5:28 PM in Delhi. On 16 November, it rises at about 6:06 AM in Patna and 6:44 AM in Delhi.
How the Planets Line Up With the Rituals
Mars enters Leo on the evening of 12 November, the day before Nahay Khay. It reaches the same degree as Ketu at around 6 AM on 15 November, the morning of Sandhya Arghya. That day is a Sunday, sacred to Surya himself. And by sunset, when devotees stand in the water facing west, the Moon is passing through Uttarashadha, a nakshatra ruled by the Sun.The next day carries the second peak. Mars draws level with Jupiter shortly before noon on 16 November, a few hours after the Usha Arghya.There is a further detail worth noting. Throughout the festival the Sun remains in Libra, its sign of debilitation. It moves into Scorpio only at about 7:43 PM on 16 November, after the last arghya is complete. So the entire worship this year is offered to a Sun in its weakest state, at the very end of that weak phase. Astrologically, devotion of this kind is believed to restore the Sun’s strength in the worshipper’s own life.
Why Magha Matters for Chhath
Magha is the nakshatra of the Pitris, the ancestors. Leo, the sign in which it lies, belongs to the Sun, who represents the father and the family line. Chhath itself is closely tied to family. Mothers keep the fast for the health and long life of their children, and Chhathi Maiya is worshipped as the protector of offspring.The planetary union links these themes together. Ketu brings up karmic debts from earlier generations. Jupiter, the karaka for children, offers grace and protection. Mars gives the determination needed to complete such a demanding fast. For families facing delays in childbirth, repeated health problems among children, or long-standing disputes in the family line, this Chhath carries extra spiritual weight.
What Devotees Can Add This Year
While offering arghya, include a prayer for departed elders, especially the paternal line. Adding a few black sesame seeds to water offered separately for the ancestors after the Usha Arghya is a simple and meaningful gesture.Those whose birth charts show a weak or afflicted Sun can recite the Aditya Hridayam or chant “Om Ghrinih Suryaya Namah” during the sunrise offering. Wheat, jaggery and copper are the Sun’s traditional items for charity, and donating them on Monday after parana is considered auspicious.Mars and Ketu together can raise tempers and the risk of accidents. Large crowds gather at riverbanks during Chhath. So families should take extra care near deep water, keep children close and avoid arguments at crowded ghats.
Which Signs Feel the Effect Most
Leo natives feel this period most directly, since the conjunction falls in their own sign. Aries and Sagittarius, the other Fire signs, may find their prayers for career and fortune particularly well received. Aquarius natives, with the gathering in their seventh house, should pray for harmony in marriage. Capricorn natives, who have it in their eighth house, benefit from offering prayers for family health.
