Nahay Khay 2026: Chhath Puja Day 1 on 13 November, Kaddu Bhaat, Rules and Sunrise Time
Nahay Khay 2026 is on Friday, 13 November. It is the first of the four days of Chhath Puja 2026, kept on Kartik Shukla Chaturthi. The Chaturthi tithi begins at 06:10 PM on Thursday, 12 November and ends at 08:43 PM on 13 November, so it holds the sunrise of the 13th. The name says what the day is: nahay, to bathe, and khay, to eat.
Nahay Khay 2026: date and timings
- Nahay Khay: Friday, 13 November 2026
- Tithi: Kartik Shukla Chaturthi, 12 November 06:10 PM to 13 November 08:43 PM
- Sunrise, Patna: 06:05 AM
- Sunrise, Delhi: 06:42 AM
- Next day: Kharna, Saturday, 14 November
Sunrise and sunset on 13 November, from our own panchang. Check your exact location on the daily panchang.
| City | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Patna | 06:05 AM | 05:02 PM |
| Gaya | 06:05 AM | 05:04 PM |
| Muzaffarpur | 06:05 AM | 05:00 PM |
| Darbhanga | 06:03 AM | 04:58 PM |
| Bhagalpur | 05:57 AM | 04:55 PM |
| Ranchi | 06:01 AM | 05:05 PM |
| Varanasi | 06:14 AM | 05:11 PM |
| Lucknow | 06:24 AM | 05:17 PM |
| Kolkata | 05:48 AM | 04:54 PM |
| Delhi | 06:42 AM | 05:29 PM |
| Mumbai | 06:45 AM | 06:01 PM |
What is done on Nahay Khay
- The home, and above all the kitchen, is cleaned thoroughly. Many families wash the cooking vessels again or use new earthen or brass ones kept only for Chhath.
- The vratti (the person keeping the fast) bathes in a river, pond or at home with Ganga jal added to the water, and wears fresh clothes.
- The day's single meal is cooked in purity, traditionally on a clay chulha fired with mango wood, and first offered to Surya Dev.
- The vratti eats first. The rest of the family eats only after that, from the same food.
Kaddu bhaat: the Nahay Khay meal
The meal is kaddu bhaat: arwa (unparboiled) rice, chana dal and a sabzi of lauki (bottle gourd, called kaddu in Bihar), cooked in ghee with rock salt (sendha namak). There is no onion, no garlic and no ordinary salt. Lauki is chosen because it is light and full of water, a good meal before the fasting days that follow. In many homes amla chutney or a little pakora of lauki is also served.
Rules for the vratti from Nahay Khay
- One satvik meal on this day, eaten after the bath and the offering.
- No onion, garlic, meat or alcohol in the house from Nahay Khay until the Usha Arghya on 16 November.
- The vratti sleeps on the floor, on a mat or a fresh sheet, through the four days.
- Everything used for the prasad (wheat for the thekua, rice, jaggery) is kept clean and out of reach of anyone who has not bathed.
All four days of Chhath Puja 2026: Nahay Khay (13 Nov) · Kharna (14 Nov) · Sandhya Arghya (15 Nov) · Usha Arghya (16 Nov). Also read: the complete Chhath Puja 2026 guide, the Chhath vrat katha and Chhathi Maiya aarti and Chhath geet.
Nahay Khay 2026: FAQs
When is Nahay Khay in 2026?
On Friday, 13 November 2026, the Kartik Shukla Chaturthi and the first day of Chhath Puja.
What is eaten on Nahay Khay?
Kaddu bhaat: arwa rice, chana dal and lauki sabzi, cooked in ghee with rock salt, without onion or garlic.
Can the vratti drink water on Nahay Khay?
Yes. Nahay Khay is not a fast day. The vratti eats one satvik meal and can drink water. The fast begins on Kharna, the next day.
What time is sunrise on Nahay Khay 2026?
Sunrise on 13 November is at 06:05 AM in Patna, 05:48 AM in Kolkata and 06:42 AM in Delhi. The table above has eleven cities.
Chhath is kept above all for the health and long life of children and the family. To see what your own chart says about children and family, start with your free kundli or talk to an astrologer.
