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

Redmond, Washington — home to Microsoft's global headquarters and one of the Pacific Northwest's most dynamic Indian tech communities — has quietly become a meaningful centre for Chhath Puja celebrations in the greater Seattle area. Each November, families from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh who have made Redmond their home gather at local water bodies to observe this ancient Vedic festival of sun worship, bringing one of India's most visually beautiful outdoor rituals to the shores of the Pacific Northwest.

Chhath Puja is dedicated to Surya Dev (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, and it stands apart from most Hindu festivals in its simplicity and directness — no elaborate temple rituals, no priestly intermediaries. Devotees stand at the water's edge themselves, offering fruit, sweets, and prayer directly to the sun at its most vulnerable moments: sunset and sunrise. The four-day observance is among the most spiritually demanding in the Hindu calendar, requiring strict fasting and ritual purity throughout.

Chhath Puja 2026 Dates

Chhath Puja 2026 takes place over four days in November, following Diwali:

• November 12 (Thursday) — Nahay Khay (Chaturthi): The festival opens with a ritual purifying bath. Devotees immerse themselves in a natural water body — a river, lake, or pond — and the household is cleaned and sanctified. A simple meal of bottle gourd (lauki) and rice, cooked without onion or garlic, is prepared and eaten. This day marks the beginning of the period of purity.

• November 13 (Friday) — Kharna (Panchami): The central devotee (often the female head of household) undertakes a full-day fast without food or water. At sunset, they break the fast with a specially prepared prasad of kheer (rice pudding sweetened with jaggery) and roti, which is first offered to Chhathi Maiya and then distributed to family and neighbours. This prasad is considered deeply sacred.

• November 14 (Saturday) — Sandhya Arghya (Shashthi): The most visually stunning day. At sunset, devotees gather at a local lake or pond, dressed in traditional clothing, carrying bamboo soops filled with seasonal fruits, thekua sweets, coconuts, sugarcane, and lit earthen diyas. Standing in the water, they face the setting sun and offer arghya (water offering) to Surya Dev. In Redmond, Lake Sammamish and community ponds provide the backdrop for this ceremony.

• November 15 (Sunday) — Usha Arghya (Saptami): Before dawn, devotees return to the water one final time for the sunrise arghya. This is the most spiritually significant offering of the festival — the multi-day fast concludes here. Prasad is distributed, and the celebration continues with family gatherings through the day.

Where to Celebrate Chhath Puja in Redmond

Redmond's Indian community, centred around Microsoft's campus and the surrounding tech corridor, has grown substantially over the past two decades. While Chhath Puja may not have the massive public infrastructure of New York or Toronto, the community organises intimate and heartfelt gatherings that carry the full spirit of the festival.

Lake Sammamish State Park and its shoreline are the natural gathering point for Chhath arghya ceremonies in the Redmond area. The lake's western shore offers accessible waterside space suitable for sunset and sunrise offerings. Devotees are advised to check park guidelines and, where required, coordinate with state park authorities for group gatherings. Local community ponds near the Redmond Town Center area and residential neighbourhoods have also been used by smaller family groups.

For spiritual community programmes, bhajans, and cultural gatherings during the Chhath season, Redmond's Hindu and South Asian centres provide a welcoming base:

• Chinmaya Mission Seattle — 15790 Redmond Way #1219, Redmond, WA 98052. An active Vedanta spiritual centre that hosts cultural and religious programmes for the Redmond community throughout the year. Contact them for any Chhath-related programmes or community events.
• Hindu Prayer and Cultural Center — 18210 Redmond Way Unit 3, Redmond, WA 98052. A dedicated prayer and cultural space serving Redmond's Hindu community.
• Radha Madana Mohana Foundation — 23515 NE Novelty Hill Rd, Ste B221-5, Redmond, WA 98053. A Vaishnava spiritual organisation serving the greater Redmond area with devotional programmes.
• Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Washington State — serving the broader Bellevue and Redmond area, this major regional temple is a hub for South Asian Hindu community life in the Eastside.

Redmond's Bihari and eastern Indian community associations and WhatsApp groups are the fastest way to find out about organised Chhath gatherings, prasad events, and community meetups. Reach out through local Microsoft India network groups and Eastside South Asian community forums.

What to Bring & What to Expect

What to bring for arghya: A bamboo soop (flat basket) is the centrepiece of the offering. Fill it with whole sugarcane stalks, bananas, a variety of seasonal fruits, thekua (traditional fried sweets made with wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee), coconut, puffed rice, earthen diyas with mustard oil, and marigold flowers. Many Redmond families source these items from the Indian grocery stores on Bellevue's Factoria area or from stores on Redmond Way.

What to wear: Traditional Indian dress — saris in yellow, orange, or red for women; kurta or dhoti for men. Layers are essential for the November sunrise arghya, when temperatures in Redmond can drop to near freezing. Waterproof footwear or wellies are practical for wading.

What to expect: Redmond's Chhath celebrations carry the warmth and intimacy of a close-knit community. Expect a deeply reverential gathering with Chhath folk songs, the glow of diyas on the water surface, and a spirit of shared cultural pride. The festival is welcoming to those outside the Bihari community who want to witness or participate respectfully.

Practical tips: November sunsets in Redmond occur around 4:45–5:00 PM and sunrises around 7:15 AM — plan accordingly for the arghya timings. Dress warmly for both. If you are new to Chhath, arrive with a devotee family — the community is generous in welcoming first-time observers. Keep your gathering space clean and leave the lakeside as you found it.