Chhath Puja 2026 in Akola: Events, Puja & Where to Celebrate
TL;DR 🌅
- 🛕 Sidhhi Vinayak Ganesh Temple and Shri Radha Krishna Mandir anchor Akola's festival season
- 🌊 Chhath Puja 2026 runs Oct 28–31 as Akola's growing Bihar/UP community heads to water
- 📅 Navratri 2026 (Oct 11), Durga Ashtami (Oct 19), and Dussehra (Oct 20) precede Chhath
- 🌾 Jatherpeth and the Malkapur Road corridor are the city's key community zones
- 🪔 Vidarbha's cotton-country city brings its own unpretentious warmth to one of Hinduism's most demanding fasts
Chhath Puja 2026 in Akola: Festival at the Heart of Vidarbha
Akola sits at the centre of Vidarbha, a region better known for cotton farming than for the Sun God's festival. But the city's migration history tells a different story. A steady movement of families from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh has brought Chhath Puja to Akola's riverbanks, and what began as a small community observance has grown into one of the more visible festivals in the city's October calendar.
The four days of Chhath Puja 2026 begin on October 28 with Nahay Khay — the ritual bath and the eating of a simple first meal cooked in clay pots. October 29 is Kharna, a day of complete fasting broken only by kheer and roti offered first to Chhathi Maiya before the Vrati eats. The two culminating days — Sandhya Arghya on October 30 and Usha Arghya on October 31 — take the festival to Akola's water bodies, where Vratis stand at the edge as the sun sets and rises.
The Autumn Puja Arc in Akola
The October festival calendar in Akola is dense. Pradosh Vrat arrives September 24, Purnima on September 26, and Sankashti Chaturthi on September 30, before the city enters the Navratri season. Navratri 2026 begins October 11, filling nine nights with garba and Durga prayers. Durga Ashtami 2026 on October 19 brings the high point of goddess worship. Dussehra and Vijayadashami 2026 on October 20 follow — in Akola, the effigy burning and processions mark a city-wide festive peak before the quieter transition into Chhath.
By October 26 (Purnima), families preparing for Chhath are sourcing their materials: bamboo soop, sugarcane, coconut, and the wheat and jaggery for thekua. Market lanes near Jatherpeth see a spike in demand.
Community Centres and Worship Spaces
Two temples serve as cornerstones of Akola's religious community life. Sidhhi Vinayak Ganesh Temple in Jyoti Nagar, Jatherpeth is one of the city's established Ganesh shrines, drawing worshippers throughout the year with particular intensity during Ganesh Chaturthi — but it also sees regular vrat observances through Navratri and the broader puja season. Shri Radha Krishna Mandir in the doctor colony on Malkapur road serves the community in that part of the city, and both temples draw worshippers during the extended festival months from September through November.
The city's real Chhath gatherings, however, are at water. The Morna river and local lakes become temporary ghats as sunset approaches on October 30. The best positions fill by mid-afternoon.
Insider Tip: In Akola, the Jatherpeth area — especially around the Sidhhi Vinayak Ganesh Temple — is one of the better places to find the prasad supplies you need: bamboo daura baskets, the specific maatiyaa clay lamps used in Chhath, and the seasonal produce required for the argha. Source them here two to three days before the festival.
FAQ
When is Chhath Puja 2026 in Akola? Nahay Khay Oct 28, Kharna Oct 29, Sandhya Arghya at sunset Oct 30, Usha Arghya at sunrise Oct 31.
Where do Chhath Vratis go for arghya in Akola? The Morna river and larger water bodies near residential areas are used. Communities gather at accessible water points; locations are largely community-organised.
Is the Chhath Puja community large in Akola? Growing, but relatively small compared to cities in Bihar. The community comes largely from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern UP. The festival is observed with full sincerity even in smaller numbers.
What is the significance of the Shri Radha Krishna Mandir in the festival season? Shri Radha Krishna Mandir on the Malkapur road serves its local neighbourhood, providing a space for community pujas and vrat observances through the festival months, including the Ekadashi dates in October.
How does Akola's festival calendar compare to its region? Vidarbha celebrates Dussehra and Navratri prominently, with Ganesh Chaturthi earlier in September. Chhath sits at the end of this run as a festival brought by migrant communities, adding a specifically Bihari dimension to Akola's already rich October calendar.
Bottom Line
Akola may be cotton country, but its October festival calendar runs the full gamut from Navratri to Chhath. The Sidhhi Vinayak Ganesh Temple in Jatherpeth and Shri Radha Krishna Mandir on Malkapur road are the community anchors through the season. For visitors and new residents from the Chhath-observing belt, the city's Bihar/UP community has the festival well in hand. Find the full city calendar at Desi.Net's Akola page.