Yogi Adityanath extends Chhath Puja greetings, prays for peace and prosperity
Synopsis
As millions of devotees gathered at ghats across Uttar Pradesh for the Sandhya Arghya on Chhath Puja, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended greetings via X and directed officials to ensure airtight safety and cleanliness arrangements at key water bodies — from Varanasi to Ghaziabad — ahead of the festival's grand conclusion on Monday morning.
Key Takeaways
CM Yogi Adityanath extended Chhath Puja greetings on 15 November 2026 , praying for peace, prosperity, and good health for all devotees.
Devotees performed Sandhya Arghya — the first offering to the setting Sun — at 4:54 pm on Sunday at riverbanks and water bodies across Uttar Pradesh .
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure safety and cleanliness at ghats in 9 key districts including Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Lucknow.
Devotees undertook a rigorous 36-hour Nirjala fast beginning after the Kharna rituals on Saturday evening.
The four-day festival concludes on Monday morning with the Usha Arghya offered to the rising Sun at 5:59 am .
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, 15 November 2026, extended warm greetings to devotees and citizens across the country on the auspicious occasion of Chhath Puja, praying that Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiyya bring happiness, peace, and prosperity into the lives of all observers of the festival.
CM Yogi's Message to Devotees
Taking to social media platform X, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote, 'Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all devotees and residents of the state on Chhath Puja, the grand festival of worshipping Lord Sun, popular faith, and Chhathi Maiyya.' He added, 'May Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiyya bring happiness, peace, prosperity, and good health into the lives of all devotees.'
The greetings came as the festival reached its most significant stage — the Sandhya Arghya, or the offering of the first arghya to the setting Sun. According to the scheduled timings, the Sun was set to descend at 4:54 pm on Sunday, with lakhs of devotees gathered at riverbanks and designated water bodies across the state to perform the ritual.
Security and Arrangements Across UP
Ahead of the festival, Chief Minister Yogi chaired a high-level review meeting through video conferencing, directing district administrations to ensure foolproof arrangements for the safety, convenience, and cleanliness of devotees. He stressed that there should be no compromise on public safety or essential facilities at ghats across Uttar Pradesh.
Special attention was directed toward districts witnessing the largest gatherings, including Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Basti, and Kanpur Nagar. Officials were instructed to inspect all major ghats, rivers, ponds, and water bodies and ensure proper lighting, clean drinking water, accessible approach roads, toilets, and changing rooms for women.
The Four-Day Festival: Rituals and Significance
Describing Chhath Puja as a festival rooted in faith, discipline, purity, and gratitude towards nature, Chief Minister Yogi noted that lakhs of devotees participate across various districts with immense devotion. The four-day festival, regarded as one of the most rigorous observances in the Hindu calendar, requires participants to undertake a demanding 36-hour Nirjala fast — consuming neither food nor water.
On Saturday, devotees performed the Kharna rituals, preparing traditional prasad including rasiya, kheer, and puris on clay stoves fuelled by mango wood, in keeping with age-old customs. Special prayers were held in secluded rooms in several households, as prescribed by religious tradition. The Kharna prasad was consumed in the evening, marking the commencement of the challenging 36-hour waterless fast.
Closing Rituals on Monday Morning
The festival is set to conclude on Monday morning when devotees offer the final arghya to the rising Sun, expected at 5:59 am. This Usha Arghya brings the four-day Chhath Puja celebrations to a formal close. This comes amid heightened administrative vigilance across the state, with officials deployed at key water bodies to manage the large crowds expected for the closing ceremony.
Point of View
A state where the festival commands enormous participation, particularly in eastern districts and among the diaspora settled in western UP and beyond. The administrative directive — high-level review meetings, district-wise checklists, women-specific facilities at ghats — reflects lessons drawn from past crowd-management failures at religious gatherings across the state. What is notable is the operational specificity: nine districts named, infrastructure criteria detailed, and the CM personally chairing the review. Whether execution matches the directive will be the real measure of this year's preparations.
NationPress
15 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Yogi Adityanath say on Chhath Puja 2026?
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended greetings to devotees on Chhath Puja on 15 November 2026, posting on X that he prayed for Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiyya to bring happiness, peace, prosperity, and good health to all observers of the festival. He also chaired a high-level review meeting to ensure safety arrangements at ghats across Uttar Pradesh.
What is the Sandhya Arghya in Chhath Puja?
Sandhya Arghya is the first major ritual of Chhath Puja in which devotees offer prayers and water to the setting Sun at designated water bodies, including riverbanks and ghats. In 2026, it was observed on Sunday evening with the Sun setting at 4:54 pm across Uttar Pradesh.
When does Chhath Puja 2026 conclude?
Chhath Puja 2026 concludes on Monday morning with the Usha Arghya — the final offering to the rising Sun — expected at 5:59 am. This marks the end of the four-day festival and breaks the 36-hour Nirjala fast observed by devotees.
Which districts in UP had special Chhath Puja arrangements?
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath specifically directed district administrations in Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Basti, and Kanpur Nagar to ensure adequate safety, lighting, drinking water, and sanitation facilities at ghats and water bodies. These districts were identified as witnessing the largest gatherings of Chhath devotees.
What is the Kharna ritual in Chhath Puja?
Kharna is a key ritual performed on the second day of Chhath Puja in which devotees prepare traditional prasad — including rasiya, kheer, and puris — on clay stoves fuelled by mango wood, in accordance with age-old customs. After a day of strict purity and devotion, fasting devotees consume the prasad in the evening, marking the start of the demanding 36-hour Nirjala fast.
