Hyderabad gears up for Chhath Puja from November 13-16, 2026

Explained

Chhath Puja, a festival observed mainly in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, is being marked across several Indian cities from November 13 to 16, 2026. Reports from multiple outlets describe official steps in Delhi, Bihar and Hyderabad, along with a calendar of the festival's rituals.

What happened

According to Times of India, the Delhi government has declared November 16, 2026, a public holiday for Chhath Puja, which the paper also calls Pratihar Shashthi or Surya Shashthi. The holiday covers government offices, autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings under the Delhi government. The paper's headline also refers to schools being shut, but the portion of the report available to us does not confirm that detail, so readers should check the official order for school closures.

In Bihar, Hindustan Times reported that the Disaster Management Department has told all districts to enforce strict safety measures during the festival. Times of India carried a similar account, saying the state has banned the use of firecrackers near ghats and private boat operations there ahead of Chhath.

In Hyderabad, The Hindu reported that the Telangana government has directed civic bodies and disaster management authorities to help hold Chhath Puja at 28 locations across the city. A Bihar association, the paper said, has asked civic bodies to focus on sanitation and hygiene during the event.

Why it matters

The reports point to a few practical concerns for the festival. Ghats, the riverside or water-side areas where devotees offer prayers to the sun, are a central focus in Bihar's restrictions. In Hyderabad, the main concern raised is cleanliness at the designated sites. News 18 has published a festival calendar listing Nahay-Khaay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya, with Usha Arghya falling on November 16, and has also run city-wise sunrise timings for that day. Because those timings vary by city, readers should consult the full article for their location.

What we don't know yet

The reports we reviewed do not give full details of the Bihar restrictions, such as penalties or exact boundaries of the banned zones. It is also unclear from these snippets whether other cities beyond Delhi, Bihar and Hyderabad have issued similar orders, and whether Delhi's holiday extends to schools. Official government notifications would be the best source for confirming these points.

Written by the 91News.in desk with AI assistance, based on reports from The Hindu, Times of India, Hindustan Times, News 18. Updated 10 Nov 2026, 10:05 pm. Spotted an error? Tell us.