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

TL;DR

• Chhath Puja 2026 runs November 13–16; Sandhya Arghya (sunset offering) is November 15 and Usha Arghya (sunrise offering) is November 16 🌅
• The festival honors Surya (the Sun God) through a 36-hour nirjala fast and outdoor arghya rituals at a water body
• Hicksville's Indian diaspora — particularly families from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh — marks Chhath as one of the most important events of the fall calendar
• Asamai Hindu Temple at 80 East Barclay Street is the area's primary Hindu community hub for festival coordination
• Chhath Samiti groups organize permitted lake venues for arghya — connect with the community well before November 15

The Four Days of Chhath Puja 2026

Chhath is unlike most other Hindu festivals. It requires no idol, no priest, and no temple — only a water body, the sun, and unwavering devotion. The rituals unfold over four days according to the lunar calendar.

Day 1 — Nahay Khay (November 13): Devotees begin with a ritual bath, cook satvik food using mango wood, and maintain dietary purity throughout the day.

Day 2 — Kharna (November 14): A daylong fast is observed, broken after sunset with kheer (rice pudding), rotis, and seasonal fruit offered as prasad. After Kharna prasad, the strict 36-hour nirjala fast begins — no food, no water.

Day 3 — Sandhya Arghya (November 15): The defining moment of the festival. Devotees — wearing new cloth, carrying bamboo soop baskets filled with seasonal fruit and thekua — wade into a water body and offer arghya to the setting sun. In the Hicksville, New York area, sunset on November 15 falls around 4:40 PM. Arriving early at the ghat is essential; parking and space fill up quickly.

Day 4 — Usha Arghya (November 16): A pre-dawn return to the ghat for the final offering to the rising sun, around 6:44 AM in the Hicksville area. This completes the fast and the vrat.

Where to Celebrate in the Hicksville Area

Hicksville's Indian community has deep roots across Nassau County's South Asian diaspora, spanning several decades of settlement.

Asamai Hindu Temple at 80 East Barclay Street is the most established Hindu community institution in Hicksville. The temple hosts a full fall calendar including Navratri and Diwali Mela, and serves as an informal community information hub. Its notice boards, WhatsApp groups, and on-site community connections are often the fastest way for new residents to find out where local Chhath Samiti groups are organizing community arghya. The temple runs programs including weekly Sunderkand sessions and maintains active community engagement throughout the year.

Guru Nanak Darbar Of Long Island at 11 Broadway in Hicksville is a Sikh gurdwara serving the Punjabi community and broader South Asian families in the area. Open daily from early morning, the gurdwara runs Akhand Keertan programs and serves langar (community meals). It is part of the broader Indian community network on Long Island and a point of connection for families of many backgrounds seeking community during the fall festival season.

Hindu Temple Of Long Island in Bethpage — directly adjacent to Hicksville — is a major Hindu mandir serving the South Shore of Nassau County. The temple promotes religious, cultural, and social activities consistent with Hindu philosophy and hosts major calendar festivals. For Chhath-observing families seeking a temple-connected community in the immediate area, the Bethpage campus is within easy reach and its community network overlaps significantly with Hicksville's Indian population.

Insider Tip: Chhath Puja in the diaspora is almost always organized through informal Chhath Puja Samiti groups rather than through formal temple structures. Search for Long Island Chhath Samiti listings on Facebook in October to find the group coordinating the permitted ghat location and timing for Sandhya Arghya. These samitis handle park permits, arrange community access to lake or pond venues, and often share bulk samagri sourcing. Connecting a month ahead is far better than scrambling the night before.

What to Prepare

The ritual materials for Chhath arghya are specific:

• Daura or soop: A large flat bamboo basket or round winnow for presenting offerings to the sun
• Thekua: A dense wheat-jaggery sweet, fried in ghee; either homemade or sourced from North Indian sweets shops
• Sugarcane stalks, banana, coconut, ginger root with leaves, turmeric
• Matka: A clay pot for carrying holy water to and from the ghat

Indian grocery stores in Hicksville and neighboring Jamaica, Floral Park, and South Richmond Hill typically stock Chhath samagri in early November. Shop by November 10 to avoid shortfalls, as demand peaks in the final days before the festival.

FAQ

Q: What are the exact 2026 Chhath Puja dates? A: November 13 (Nahay Khay), November 14 (Kharna), November 15 (Sandhya Arghya, evening), November 16 (Usha Arghya, morning).

Q: Do I need a temple to observe Chhath Puja? A: No. Chhath is a ghat-based festival. The arghya rituals are performed outdoors at a water body at sunset and sunrise. Temples like Asamai Hindu Temple can help you find the community ghat location, but the puja itself happens outside.

Q: How do I find the ghat location in Hicksville for 2026? A: Connect with a Chhath Puja Samiti through local Facebook groups for Long Island's Bihari and Purvanchali community. The samiti will post the permitted lake or pond location, typically in October.

Q: Who keeps the nirjala fast? A: Traditionally the vratin — often the woman who has taken the vow — keeps the complete 36-hour fast. Family members support her and share the prasad after Usha Arghya on November 16 morning.

Q: Can people from other Indian communities observe Chhath? A: Absolutely. Community ghats are open and welcoming. Dressing appropriately, observing quietly, and participating respectfully is all that is expected.

Bottom Line

Chhath Puja brings a deeply personal and visually powerful form of devotion to Long Island's waterways each November. For Hicksville's Bihari and Purvanchali Indian diaspora, the festival is a cultural anchor — one that connects families to their roots in Bihar and Jharkhand as powerfully as any ritual could. Find your samiti group early, prepare your soop by November 12, and be at the water's edge before the November 15 sunset.