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

TL;DR 🕯️

• Chhath Puja 2026 falls on November 13–16; the Sandhya Arghya sunset offering is on November 15 at approximately 4:34 PM Pacific Time
• The Usha Arghya sunrise offering follows on November 16 at approximately 7:17 AM Pacific — an early start, so plan the night before
• 🛕 The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (HTCC) in Bothell is the region's primary Hindu institution, serving the entire Seattle eastside community
• Bothell sits in the heart of the South Asian residential corridor along the I-405 and SR-520 tech belt in the greater Seattle metro
• 🌊 For Chhath Puja, local samitis arrange ghat access at a designated park or lakefront — the venue is confirmed in October via community networks

Chhath Puja arrives in the Pacific Northwest each year as November settles in — shorter days, early darkness, the lake surfaces quiet and cold. For the South Asian families of Bothell and the broader Seattle eastside, the timing is not incidental. The festival honors the sun precisely at the moment it becomes most precious, when it rises late and sets early and the air smells of leaf-fall. Standing at the water's edge at 4:34 on a November afternoon, holding sugarcane and thekua, surrounded by the community doing the same thing — that is the whole point.

The Four-Day Vrat 🌊

Chhath Puja observes the same exact structure worldwide, unchanged by geography.

Nahay Khay (November 13): Devotees bathe in a natural water source at dawn and eat one clean meal — chana dal, lauki, and rice cooked in clay vessels. The home is purified; nothing cooked elsewhere is brought in.

Kharna (November 14): A day-long fast. After sunset, the prasad — kheer prepared with new-harvest rice and jaggery, cooked without water — is offered and shared among the household. After this meal, the main devotee begins a 36-hour nirjala fast: no food, no water until after Usha Arghya.

Sandhya Arghya (November 15): The festival's apex. The community gathers at a designated ghat as sunset approaches — at approximately 4:34 PM Pacific this year. Bamboo baskets piled with seasonal fruit, clay lamps, and stacks of thekua crowd the banks. Devotees wade into the water and offer arghya — milk, water, prayer — to the setting sun. The scene is striking: a crowd standing in cold water while the light fades from the sky over the Pacific Northwest hills.

Usha Arghya (November 16): The final act. At sunrise — approximately 7:17 AM Pacific — the community returns to the ghat for the morning offering to the rising sun. The vrat ends, the fast breaks, and prasad is shared with everyone present.

Chhath Puja in the Seattle Metro

The Indian-American community across Seattle's eastside — concentrated in Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Bothell — has grown substantially over the past two decades. The tech corridor along SR-520 and I-405 brought large numbers of South Asian professionals and their families, and the community's religious and cultural infrastructure has grown alongside them.

The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (HTCC) in Bothell is the region's primary Hindu temple. Local reporting has described hundreds of Hindus and Sikhs gathering at area temples in the Seattle metro to share the experience of faith during major festival seasons, with HTCC at the center of that religious life. The temple holds regular pujas and community programs across the full Hindu festival calendar.

For Chhath specifically, the event is typically organized by local Bihari and Purvanchal associations within the larger community. The ghat venue — usually a designated park lakefront — is confirmed in October. Checking Seattle-area Indian community Facebook groups and WhatsApp networks is the most reliable way to find the specific location for 2026.

Daanyam, which tracks Hindu festival timings by city across the US, lists the Seattle-area arghya times as 16:34 for Sandhya and 07:17 for Usha — treat these as estimates and cross-check with a local panchang. HinduTone, another resource for the South Asian diaspora, confirms that many samitis in US cities arrange permitted outdoor venues for arghya, and notes that the Indian community in the Pacific Northwest has been among the more organized in doing so.

What You Need for the Puja

The puja requires specific items: bamboo soop (winnowing fans), clay deepak, fresh sugarcane, singhara, suran, and fruits including coconut, banana, and ber. For prasad, thekua and kheer are central. The Indian grocery corridor in Redmond and Bellevue stocks most of these items; Indian stores in Bellevue carry seasonal Chhath samagri kits in the weeks leading up to the festival.

Copper or clay vessels are traditional. All cooking is done in a ritually clean kitchen. Many families keep a dedicated set of puja utensils used only during Chhath — this is worth setting aside if you observe year after year.

Insider Tip: Arrive at the Sandhya Arghya ghat at least 45 minutes before sunset. The last 20 minutes before the sun drops are when the puja reaches its most intense point — arriving late means missing the moment and disturbing devotees who are in the middle of the offering.

FAQ

When is Chhath Puja 2026? November 13–16. Nahay Khay begins the festival on November 13; the final Usha Arghya is on November 16.

What are the sunset and sunrise arghya times for the Seattle area? Approximately 4:34 PM Pacific on November 15 (Sandhya Arghya) and 7:17 AM Pacific on November 16 (Usha Arghya). Confirm with a local panchang.

Where will the Chhath ghat be in Bothell? No permanent ghat exists. Local Chhath Samitis arrange permitted access at a lakefront or park and announce the location in October.

Where can I buy Chhath puja supplies near Bothell? Indian grocery stores in Redmond and Bellevue stock seasonal Chhath samagri starting in October. Check store websites for current inventory closer to the festival.

Is the event open to non-observers? Yes. Chhath ghat events are community gatherings. Attending to witness, offer support, and share prasad is welcomed.

Bottom Line

Chhath Puja in Bothell and the Seattle eastside brings the full devotional intensity of this four-day vrat to the edge of Pacific Northwest lakes. Find the HTCC, connect with local Purvanchal community networks, confirm the ghat location by mid-October, and plan to be standing at the water on November 15 as the sun goes down. Explore the full Desi community guide to Bothell at Desi.Net.