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

TL;DR

• 🌅 Chhath Puja 2026 runs November 13–16, with the main sunset offering on November 15.
• 🌊 The Arabian Sea coastline near Thalassery, including Muzhappilangad Beach, is a natural setting for the Arghya ritual.
• 🛕 Temples across Thalassery — including Edakkad Sri Mahavishnu Temple and Vattakulam Muthappan Temple — are active through this season.
• 🎭 Mid-November marks the opening of Theyyam season in Kannur district.
• 📅 Diwali on November 8 sets off the final stretch of the Hindu festival calendar.

Chhath Puja in Thalassery: The Four Days

Chhath Puja is primarily observed by families from Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and eastern Uttar Pradesh — communities whose members have settled across India, including along the Malabar Coast. In Thalassery, families with North Indian roots observe the festival each November.

The 2026 dates:

Nahay Khay — November 13: Ritual bathing, usually in a river or sea, followed by a simple meal cooked with that water. Only the prasad is eaten, and the day emphasizes purification before the main fasting period.

Kharna — November 14: A full fast through the day without water. At sundown, it breaks with kheer (rice and jaggery pudding) and salt-free roti. The prasad is shared with family and neighbors before the stricter fast begins.

Sandhya Arghya — November 15: The main event. At sunset, devotees stand at the water's edge — ideally waist-deep — and offer water, fruits, sugarcane, coconut, and thekua to Surya, the sun. The sky shifts from orange to deep red over the sea as the rituals conclude.

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

Where to Observe the Arghya Near Thalassery

Thalassery sits on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, with direct access to the Arabian Sea. This is one of the genuinely fitting aspects of observing Chhath Puja here — the festival requires open water and a clear horizon, and both are within easy reach.

Muzhappilangad Beach, north of Thalassery town, is one of the longest drive-in beaches in India. The beach is broad and open, with a straight westward-facing shoreline. For the Sandhya Arghya on November 15, families can walk into the shallows and face the setting sun directly over the water. The scale of the beach means multiple groups can observe without crowding.

Inland options include smaller riverbanks and backwater areas in the region, which offer calmer water for families with young children or elders.

For families who want to combine a temple visit with the festival observances, Edakkad Sri Mahavishnu Temple in the Nadal area and Adikadalai Sri Krishna Temple are both accessible from Thalassery. Neither is specifically a Chhath Puja venue, but many families include a temple visit during the fasting days as part of a broader devotional practice.

Insider Tip: Sunrise over the Arabian Sea in mid-November is around 6:15 AM. For the Usha Arghya on November 16, arriving at the water before 6:00 AM is essential — the ritual requires facing east into the rising sun as it appears above the horizon. This is easier to manage at the beach than at a riverbank, where tree cover can obstruct the sightline.

November's Broader Festival Calendar in Thalassery

Chhath Puja arrives after a full sequence of observances:

• Dhanteras fell on November 6 — associated with Lakshmi and the auspicious purchase of metal objects.
• Diwali was November 8. Even in Kerala, where Diwali is not observed with the same intensity as in the north, most families light lamps and share sweets on this evening.
• Bhai Dooj followed on November 10.
• Chhath Puja closes the arc from November 13–16.

October brought Navratri (October 11), Durga Ashtami (October 19), Dussehra (October 20), and Karva Chauth (October 29).

The Sree Chovva Shiva Temple and Sree Sundareswara Temple in the Thalassery area hold regular abhishekam and archana through these months. The Vattakulam Muthappan Temple on Vattakulam Road is active year-round with Muthappan worship, and its devotional atmosphere is especially accessible to visitors unfamiliar with local traditions.

Theyyam Season Begins

One of the distinctive features of November in Thalassery is that it coincides with the start of Theyyam season. Theyyam is a ritualistic performance tradition practiced in Kannur and Kasaragod districts, involving elaborate costumes, face paint, and performance that embodies specific deities. The season runs through the Malayalam month of Vrichikam (roughly mid-November to mid-December) and continues well into spring.

The Muthappan tradition, centered on the deity whose form is known for accessibility to all devotees, is widely observed in and around Thalassery. The Sri Muthappan Temple at Parassinikadavu in nearby Kannur is one of the most prominent Muthappan temples in Kerala, holding daily Theyyam performances open to all.

For visitors who arrive in Thalassery in mid-November, the overlap of Chhath Puja and the opening of Theyyam season means the region carries an unusually full devotional energy during this stretch.

Preparing the Prasad in Thalassery

The core prasad items for Chhath Puja:

• Thekua: whole wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee pressed into discs and fried. This is the defining preparation of the festival and can be made at home.
• Fruits: sugarcane stalks, banana, coconut, and citrus
• Clay diyas and camphor
• Bamboo sup (offering basket) to hold and present the offerings at the water

Wheat flour, jaggery, and other staples are available in Thalassery's main markets. Sugarcane stalks are easiest to find at weekly markets or directly from farms in the region.

FAQ

Is Chhath Puja celebrated in Kerala? Chhath Puja is not a traditional Kerala festival, but it is observed by families from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh who have settled in Kerala, including in Thalassery.

When is Chhath Puja 2026? The four-day festival runs November 13–16. 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 perform the Arghya in Thalassery? Muzhappilangad Beach is the most practical choice — it faces west for the sunset offering and east for the sunrise offering, with open access to the sea. Arrive by 4:30 PM on November 15.

What temples are active in Thalassery during November? Edakkad Sri Mahavishnu Temple, Adikadalai Sri Krishna Temple, Sree Chovva Shiva Temple, Sree Sundareswara Temple, and Vattakulam Muthappan Temple are all active. Sri Muthappan Temple at Parassinikadavu in Kannur is nearby.

What is Theyyam and when does the season start? Theyyam is a ritualistic performance tradition of Kannur and Kasaragod districts. The season begins in mid-November. Sri Muthappan Temple at Parassinikadavu holds daily Theyyam performances accessible to all devotees.

Bottom Line

Chhath Puja in Thalassery is quiet compared to the ghats of Patna or Varanasi, but the ritual needs only clean water and an open horizon — both of which the Malabar Coast provides in abundance. For families from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern UP living here, the festival is a way of staying rooted. The sea at Muzhappilangad Beach as a setting for the Sandhya Arghya on November 15 is an experience that belongs entirely to this coast.