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

TL;DR

• 🌅 Chhath Puja 2026 runs November 13–16, with the main sunset offering on November 15.
• 💧 Access to water is key — Centennial Park's large lake is a popular informal gathering point for Howard County families.
• 🏛️ Indian Cultural Association (ICA) of Howard County is the most active cultural body in the area.
• 🛕 Dayalbagh Radhasoami Satsang Association of North America and Sree Sitarama Hanuman Devotion And Charity both serve the community's spiritual needs.
• 📅 Diwali on November 8 starts the final stretch of the Hindu festival calendar for 2026.

Chhath Puja 2026: The Four-Day Schedule

Chhath Puja is not a single-day event. It unfolds across four days with distinct rituals for each.

Nahay Khay — November 13: Devotees take a ritual bath in a river or lake, then cook a simple meal using that same water. Only the prasad is consumed. The day is centered on physical and spiritual purification.

Kharna — November 14: A full fast through the day, without food or water. At sundown, the fast breaks with a small meal of kheer (rice and jaggery pudding) and roti made without salt. This prasad is shared with neighbors and family before the main fasting days begin in earnest.

Sandhya Arghya — November 15: The central event. Families gather at a water body at sunset, standing waist-deep in the water. The offering — called Arghya — consists of water poured from a bamboo basket (sup) containing thekua, fruits, sugarcane, coconut, and burning diyas. The ritual is directed at the setting sun, Surya, with prayers for health, prosperity, and longevity.

Usha Arghya — November 16: Before sunrise, devotees return to the water for a final offering to the rising sun. After this, the four-day fast is broken.

Columbia, Maryland's Indian Community

Columbia is in Howard County, Maryland — a county with one of the highest concentrations of Indian Americans in the mid-Atlantic. The community here has built a consistent infrastructure of cultural and spiritual organizations.

The most visible is the Indian Cultural Association (ICA) of Howard County. Founded in 2018, ICA has become one of the most active South Asian organizations in the region. Its annual Festival of India, held at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, drew close to 20,000 visitors at the 2026 edition in September — an event the county has recognized as one of its best festivals for multiple years running. Beyond the festival, ICA runs a food distribution program that has delivered millions of pounds of food to families in need across Howard County.

For spiritual observance, two organizations serve distinct communities. The Dayalbagh Radhasoami Satsang Association of North America holds regular satsang gatherings in Columbia. The Radhasoami tradition blends devotion, meditation, and sewa, drawing participants who seek a quieter, more inward mode of practice. The Sree Sitarama Hanuman Devotion And Charity, also based in Columbia, supports both temple-style devotional worship and community welfare activities.

Insider Tip: Centennial Park, with its large lake and open walking paths around the perimeter, is where many Indian families in Howard County gather informally for Chhath Puja. There is no organized event — families arrive on their own, set up at the water's edge, and perform the Arghya. Arrive by 4:30 PM on November 15 to secure a spot along the lakeside before dusk.

The Festival Season Leading Into Chhath

Chhath Puja arrives after the busiest string of Hindu observances in the calendar year. Columbia's Indian community has already moved through a dense stretch:

October brought Navratri (starting October 11), Durga Ashtami (October 18), and Dussehra (October 20). Karva Chauth was October 29. November opened with Dhanteras on the 6th and Diwali on the 8th, followed by Bhai Dooj on the 10th. Chhath Puja then rounds out the season from the 13th through the 16th.

This density of observances is part of why the Indian cultural calendar in Columbia stays active from September through mid-November every year.

What to Bring for the Arghya

Preparing for Chhath Puja at a local water body requires some planning:

• Thekua: the central prasad of Chhath Puja — a dense sweet made from whole wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee, shaped into discs and fried. Making it at home is traditional.
• Fruits: sugarcane stalks, banana, coconut, citrus
• Clay diyas and camphor for floating lamps
• Bamboo sup (offering basket) — available at Indian grocery stores in the Baltimore-Washington area during the festival season

Clothing for the Arghya is typically a saree in yellow or orange for women, and a dhoti or kurta-pajama for men. Plan to get wet at the waterline.

FAQ

When is Chhath Puja 2026? The four-day festival runs November 13–16, 2026. The Sandhya Arghya (sunset offering) is on November 15, and the Usha Arghya (sunrise offering) is on the morning of November 16.

Where can I do Chhath Puja in Columbia, Maryland? Centennial Park is the most commonly used informal venue for Howard County families. Any accessible lake, river, or pond with open water works for the Arghya.

What is the significance of Chhath Puja? Chhath Puja honors the sun god Surya and Chhathi Maiya, expressing gratitude for sustaining life through light and water. The rituals emphasize purity, austerity, and direct connection with nature.

What Indian organizations are active in Columbia, Maryland? The Indian Cultural Association (ICA) of Howard County is the most prominent cultural body. For spiritual practice, the Dayalbagh Radhasoami Satsang Association of North America and Sree Sitarama Hanuman Devotion And Charity are both based in Columbia.

Is there a Bihari or North Indian community in Columbia? Yes. Howard County has a significant population of families from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, which is why Chhath Puja observance here is active and growing each year.

Bottom Line

Chhath Puja 2026 brings the Indian festival calendar to a close with one of its most physically demanding and spiritually direct observances. Columbia's Indian community — supported by organizations like ICA of Howard County, Dayalbagh Radhasoami Satsang Association of North America, and Sree Sitarama Hanuman Devotion And Charity — is well positioned to mark it properly. Find your spot at the water before sunset on November 15, bring your thekua and fruits, and face the setting sun.