Chhath Puja 2026 in Santa Clarita: Events, Puja & Where to Celebrate

TL;DR

• Chhath Puja 2026 falls November 13–16 in Santa Clarita, with the main Sandhya Arghya on November 15 at approximately 4:50 PM and Usha Arghya at sunrise on November 16 at 6:26 AM
• Chhath Puja is the principal festival of North India's Purvanchal region — Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh — observed by fasting, ritual bathing, and sunrise/sunset offerings to Surya
• Valley Sikh Temple at 7400 Jordan Avenue serves the broader South Asian community in the Santa Clarita corridor
• Santa Clarita's Indian community observes Chhath through organized riverside or lakeside gatherings and private family observances
• Navratri (Oct 11–19) precedes Chhath by three weeks, anchoring October as the fall festival season's opening before November's conclusion

November's Sacred Fast: Chhath Puja in Santa Clarita

Chhath Puja arrives in November, four weeks after Dussehra closes the Navratri season. Where Navratri is multi-tradition and wide-reaching, Chhath Puja is specific: it belongs to the Purvanchali tradition of Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and it is observed with an intensity that marks it as one of North India's most demanding religious fasts.

The four-day sequence for 2026 runs November 13–16. Nahay Khay opens the fast on November 13 with ritual bathing and a single cooked meal. Kharna, the day of unbroken fasting, is November 14. Sandhya Arghya — the evening offering to the setting sun — is the main day, falling on November 15. The sunset arghya in Santa Clarita is timed at approximately 4:50 PM Pacific, calculated for the Los Angeles area. Usha Arghya — the morning offering to the rising sun — concludes the fast on November 16, with sunrise at approximately 6:26 AM Pacific. The fast breaks after the morning arghya.

For Santa Clarita's Purvanchali families, the logistics of Chhath require access to a water body — traditionally a river, now often a lake or large park pond — where the arghya can be performed with open sky and water visible at the horizon. The annual organization of this gathering, finding a suitable location, coordinating participants, and arranging prasad preparation, is typically done through close family and regional networks rather than formal community announcements.

Valley Sikh Temple: Community Anchor for Santa Clarita's South Asian Residents

Valley Sikh Temple, located at 7400 Jordan Avenue, serves as a religious and community center for the broader South Asian community in the Santa Clarita corridor and San Fernando Valley. The temple's langar (community kitchen) and regular religious programs create a physical community space for Punjabi and broader Indian families in the area.

While Chhath Puja is primarily a Hindu observance rooted in Purvanchali traditions rather than a Sikh festival, the Valley Sikh Temple's role as a community anchor makes it a natural point of contact for newcomers looking to connect with Santa Clarita's South Asian network. Temple communities often share information about neighboring Hindu festival events, particularly in areas where the broader Indian community has overlapping social connections.

For families new to the Santa Clarita area, Valley Sikh Temple at Jordan Avenue provides one of the more accessible entry points into the city's South Asian community.

How the Festival Is Observed in the Diaspora

Chhath Puja in the United States follows the same four-day structure as in India, adapted to the landscapes and logistics of diaspora life. In the Los Angeles area, Purvanchali families have organized lakeside gatherings at Sepulveda Basin, Hansen Dam, and other park water bodies for the arghya ritual. Santa Clarita-area families sometimes join these larger metro-area gatherings or organize smaller independent observances at local parks with accessible water features.

The prasad preparation — particularly the thekua, the wheat-and-jaggery fried sweet central to Chhath — is done at home over the festival days, following family recipes passed down from Bihar and Jharkhand. The prasad is considered sacred and distributed after the fast breaks on the final morning.

Insider Tip

For first-time observers of Chhath Puja in the Santa Clarita area, the most reliable way to find a community arghya gathering is through Bihari and Jharkhand-origin WhatsApp groups and the community networks of Purvanchali families who have been organizing Santa Clarita-area observances for years. The Valley Sikh Temple community is a good starting connection point for the broader South Asian network that can direct you to these smaller, tradition-specific observance groups.

FAQ

When is Chhath Puja in 2026 in Santa Clarita? The four-day sequence runs November 13–16, 2026. Sandhya Arghya (sunset offering) is November 15 at approximately 4:50 PM; Usha Arghya (sunrise offering) is November 16 at approximately 6:26 AM Pacific Time.

What is Chhath Puja? Chhath Puja is a four-day festival from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh dedicated to Surya, the sun god. Worshippers fast for two days (including one without water) and offer prayers at sunset and sunrise at a water body.

Where is Valley Sikh Temple in Santa Clarita? Valley Sikh Temple is located at 7400 Jordan Avenue. Phone: 818-884-2007. Website: valleysikhtemple.org.

Is Navratri also observed in Santa Clarita? Yes. Navratri 2026 runs October 11–19, three weeks before Chhath Puja. Santa Clarita's Indian community participates in metro-wide Navratri garba events organized across the Los Angeles area.

What is the significance of the Vijay Muhurat on Dussehra? Vijayadashami (October 20) falls three weeks before Chhath Puja and marks the end of Navratri. Its Vijay Muhurat is an auspicious window for new beginnings, calculated locally for the Santa Clarita area.

Bottom Line

Santa Clarita's October and November festival season runs from Navratri through Dussehra and into Chhath Puja — the community's calendar is full through mid-November. Valley Sikh Temple at 7400 Jordan Avenue anchors the broader South Asian community in the area, while Chhath Puja itself is organized through the Purvanchali family networks that have maintained this demanding fast in the diaspora. For the complete Santa Clarita Indian events calendar, panchang timings, and the city's Desi community directory, visit the Santa Clarita page on Desi.Net.