Chhath Puja 2026 in Aurangabad: Events, Puja & Where to Celebrate

TL;DR

• 🗓️ Chhath Puja 2026 is on November 15, with four days of ritual beginning November 12
• 🌅 Water bodies across Aurangabad host the sandhya and usha arghya — the festival's core public rituals
• 🛕 Grishneshwar Temple near Aurangabad and TSER Balaji Temple anchor the broader festive season
• 👥 UP and Bihar migrant communities organize Chhath entirely at the neighbourhood level in this city
• 📋 Contact Ramakrishna Mission Ashram or local Purvanchali associations for confirmed event locations

About Chhath Puja in Aurangabad

Aurangabad — now officially called Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — sits in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra and is known outside the city primarily for its proximity to the Ajanta and Ellora caves. Inside the city, a quieter story plays out each November: a festival that arrived with migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh has taken root firmly in the urban fabric.

Chhath Puja is an act of gratitude and petition directed at Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya. Its four days require the person observing the vrat to bathe in a natural water body, fast for extended periods, and perform arghya rituals at sunset and sunrise. There are no priests to mediate and no elaborate temple setting required — the festival belongs entirely to the community and the water. That quality makes it adaptable to any city where the community exists, and in Aurangabad, the UP and Bihar population has established it as a fixed part of the November calendar.

2026 Festival Calendar for Aurangabad

The festive season in 2026 builds through October before culminating with Chhath:

• Navratri begins October 11
• Dussehra falls on October 20
• Karva Chauth is October 29
• Dhanteras is November 6
• Diwali falls on November 8
• Chhath Puja is November 15

The week between Diwali on November 8 and Chhath on November 15 is one of continuous preparation in many households — earthen lamps are still being cleaned away while bamboo soop baskets are already being sourced.

The Four-Day Chhath Ritual

Nahay Khay (Day 1): The vrati (person observing the fast) takes a bath in a river, lake, or other natural water body and eats one simple meal cooked in earthen pots. The household is cleaned thoroughly. From this point, an atmosphere of purity and restraint governs the home.

Kharna (Day 2): Complete fasting through the day until the evening puja. After sunset, kheer made with jaggery and milk is prepared and shared as prasad among family and neighbours. This is the last food the vrati will eat before the fast is broken two days later.

Sandhya Arghya (Day 3): The most visible and crowded part of the festival. Devotees gather at a water body at sunset, standing in the water with bamboo soop baskets loaded with offerings — fruits, thekua, coconut, sugarcane, earthen lamps. The arghya to the setting sun is offered collectively, with the baskets raised toward the horizon. In Aurangabad, local water bodies and designated lakes serve as gathering points.

Usha Arghya (Day 4): At dawn on the final day, the same gathering takes place for the rising sun. The vrat is completed with this sunrise offering. Only then does the fast end.

Temples and Community Spaces in Aurangabad

TSER Balaji Temple (TSER Society, Jalan Nagar) is an active temple in one of Aurangabad's established residential sectors. During the festive season, Jalan Nagar sees increased activity as devotees move between back-to-back occasions through October and November.

Machhindranath Maharaj Temple (Nashik Highway Road) sits on one of the city's main arteries. It draws steady footfall from residents across Aurangabad's northern quarters and is well-known as a site of consistent community worship through the festival season.

Shri Ganesha Temple (G Sector, Cidco) serves the Cidco residential belt, which houses a broad cross-section of the city's newer migrant and working communities. The temple is accessible and well-positioned for the neighbourhood's festive gatherings.

Grishneshwar Temple (Verul, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra) is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and is located approximately 29 kilometres from the city centre near the Ellora caves. It is a site of deep reverence across the entire Marathwada region. Many families from Aurangabad make a point of visiting Grishneshwar Temple for darshan during the festive stretch in October and November.

Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Aurangabad (Swami Vivekananda Marg, Beed Bypass Highway) holds a broader community role in the city's cultural and spiritual life. The ashram serves as a point of contact for wider community events and may have information on Chhath Puja gatherings organized in the city.

Insider Tip: Chhath Puja in Aurangabad is organized almost entirely at the neighbourhood level — there is no central venue, no ticketed event, no official listing. The Ramakrishna Mission Ashram on Beed Bypass Highway and the area around Machhindranath Maharaj Temple on Nashik Highway Road are good starting points for finding out where the sandhya arghya gatherings are happening in 2026. Local Purvanchali community WhatsApp groups circulate logistics in the final week before the festival, and that is the most reliable source of real-time information.

FAQ

When is Chhath Puja 2026 in Aurangabad? Chhath Puja falls on November 15, 2026. The four-day observance begins on November 12.

Is Chhath Puja celebrated widely in Aurangabad? Chhath Puja has grown steadily in Aurangabad as the UP and Bihar migrant community has expanded over decades. The festival is concentrated in certain residential pockets and industrial areas, organized by community associations.

Can I visit Grishneshwar Temple during the Chhath period? Grishneshwar Temple near Aurangabad is open year-round and is not restricted to any single festival period. Visiting during November is possible, though larger crowds are expected across the entire festive stretch.

Where do arghya rituals take place in Aurangabad? Local water bodies and designated lakes within the city are used. Contact the TSER Balaji Temple in Jalan Nagar or the Shri Ganesha Temple in G Sector, Cidco for directions to the nearest organized arghya site in your area.

Is Aurangabad the same as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar? Yes. The city was officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2023. Aurangabad remains the name most commonly used in daily life, local signage, and practical directions.

Bottom Line

Chhath Puja 2026 in Aurangabad arrives on November 15, closing out a festive season that opened with Navratri in October. TSER Balaji Temple, Machhindranath Maharaj Temple, Shri Ganesha Temple, Grishneshwar Temple, and Ramakrishna Mission Ashram together mark the city's sacred geography for the season. For the UP and Bihar communities who have made Aurangabad home, Chhath Puja is the most personally significant observance of the year — one that requires no temple, no priest, no stage, only a water body, the sun, and the community gathered around it.