Chhath Puja is one of the most sacred Hindu festivals dedicated to Surya Dev, the Sun God. It is observed over four days, and each day has its own deep ritual and spiritual importance. The second day of Chhath Puja is known as Lohanda and Kharna, and it marks a major turning point in the festival because it begins the more intense fasting phase of the vrat. According to the 2026 Chhath calendar for New Delhi, Chhath Puja Day 2, Lohanda and Kharna, falls on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The same calendar lists sunrise at 6:43 AM and sunset at 5:28 PM on Kharna day.
If you are searching for Kharna 2026 date, Chhath Puja Day 2, or Lohanda and Kharna 2026, this is the day when devotees observe a day-long fast and break it just after sunset after offering food to Surya Dev. Drik Panchang describes Kharna as the second day of Chhath, when fasting without water is observed from sunrise to sunset, and the fast is broken just after sunset after making a food offering to the Sun God. 
Kharna 2026 Date
For 2026, the key details for Kharna are:
Festival: Chhath Puja Day 2
Name of the Day: Lohanda and Kharna
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Sunrise in New Delhi: 6:43 AM
Sunset in New Delhi: 5:28 PM
For readers in other cities, timings will vary slightly. For example, the Patna Chhath calendar lists Kharna on the same date, November 14, 2026, with sunrise at 6:06 AM and sunset at 5:01 PM, showing why local sunrise and sunset should be checked when planning rituals.
What Is Kharna in Chhath Puja?
Kharna is the second day of Chhath Puja and follows the first day, Nahay Khay. It is also called Lohanda and Kharna. The day is observed on Panchami Tithi in the Chhath sequence and is one of the most disciplined parts of the festival. On this day, the vratin, the person observing the fast, remains without food and water through the day and breaks the fast after sunset with prasad offered during evening worship. After taking this prasad, the longer and stricter phase of fasting for the next day begins.
Kharna is spiritually important because it represents inner purification, self-discipline and devotion before the main Chhath Puja day. It prepares the vratin physically and spiritually for the Sandhya Arghya on Day 3. The Chhath calendar notes that the third day fasting begins after having prasad on the second day, which makes Kharna a crucial bridge between the initial preparatory phase and the main worship of Surya Dev.
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Chhath Puja teaches that real transformation begins with discipline, purity and conscious devotion. Kharna especially reminds us that before higher spiritual offering comes inner preparation. Design Your Destiny helps you understand your patterns more deeply, align your life with awareness and move towards a more conscious and purposeful journey.
Start Your Journey Today!Why Is Kharna Called Lohanda and Kharna?
The second day is commonly referred to as Lohanda and Kharna in many Chhath calendars and family traditions. While the names may differ slightly regionally, they refer to the same observance on Day 2 of Chhath Puja. In Chhath calendars for New Delhi, Patna and other cities, this second day is clearly listed as Lohanda and Kharna, confirming its place as a formally recognised ritual stage in the four-day Chhath sequence.
For SEO and reader intent, it is useful to include both names in the article because many users search “Kharna 2026,” while others search “Lohanda and Kharna 2026.” Both terms point to the same Day 2 ritual.
Kharna Puja Vidhi
The Kharna puja vidhi is simple in structure but deeply devotional in meaning. The vratin usually begins the day with cleanliness, prayer and restraint. A strict fast is observed from sunrise until sunset. The puja is performed in the evening, and food is first offered before the vratin takes prasad. The second-day fast is specifically described in the Chhath calendar as a fast without water from sunrise to sunset, broken just after sunset after making a food offering to the Sun God.
A simple home sequence for Kharna can be explained as follows:
Wake up early and clean the home and puja area.
Take a bath and prepare for the vrat with a prayerful mindset.
Observe the fast during the day.
Prepare the evening prasad in a clean and sattvic manner.
Perform puja after sunset.
Offer the prepared food to Surya Dev.
Break the fast with prasad after worship.
After taking prasad, the vratin enters the next stricter fasting phase leading to Chhath Puja Day 3.
As with many Hindu observances, exact household practice may vary by family, region and lineage. But the core elements of Kharna remain the same: fasting, evening worship, offering and receiving prasad, and beginning the next phase of the Chhath vrat.
Kharna Prasad
One of the most searched topics related to this day is Kharna prasad. Traditionally, families prepare simple and sattvic offerings for the evening ritual. In many homes, the prasad commonly includes gur ki kheer or rasiao kheer, roti, and other pure homemade offerings prepared without onion or garlic and with a strong emphasis on ritual cleanliness. This prasad is first offered during worship and then eaten by the vratin to break the day-long fast. The Chhath calendar confirms that the fast is broken after sunset after making a food offering, and this offering becomes the sacred prasad of Kharna.
The deeper meaning of Kharna prasad lies in simplicity. Unlike festive feasting, this prasad is devotional food prepared with purity and intention. The vratin receives it not merely as food, but as blessed offering after an entire day of discipline and prayer. This is also why cleanliness in preparation is considered essential in most Chhath-observing households.
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Significance of Kharna
The significance of Kharna goes far beyond one evening meal. It marks the moment when Chhath vrat intensifies. On Day 1, the focus is on purification and simple भोजन. On Day 2, the vratin practises deep restraint through fasting from sunrise to sunset. Then, after worship and prasad, the vratin prepares for the even more demanding devotion of the next day. The Chhath calendar explicitly notes that the third day fasting begins after having prasad on the second day.
Spiritually, Kharna symbolises:
discipline before devotion
simplicity before abundance
purification before offering
surrender before the main worship of Surya Dev
Because Chhath is one of the most rigorous and pure Hindu observances, Kharna occupies a special place as the day that tests resolve and strengthens inner faith. 
Why Is Kharna Important in Chhath Puja?
Kharna is important because it prepares the vratin for the core worship of Chhath Puja. The third day, when Sandhya Arghya is offered, is widely recognised as the main Chhath Puja day. The 2026 Chhath calendar shows that Chhath Puja and Sandhya Arghya fall on Sunday, November 15, 2026, one day after Kharna. This sequencing shows that Kharna is not an isolated ritual but a spiritual preparation for the central act of worship.
In practical terms, Kharna also brings mental focus. The vratin consciously reduces distraction, controls desire and aligns life around prayer. That is why the second day is remembered not only for fasting and prasad, but also for its deep devotional seriousness.
Chhath Puja Day 2 Fasting Rules
The Chhath calendar clearly states that on Kharna day, fasting without water is observed from sunrise to sunset. This is one of the defining rules of the day. After sunset and after making the food offering, the fast is broken with prasad.
For a practical and safe explanation, you can state the common vrat rules this way:
observe cleanliness in body, kitchen and prayer space
remain prayerful and sattvic through the day
keep the fast from sunrise to sunset
break the fast only after the evening offering
consume only prasad to conclude the day’s fast
continue the Chhath vrat discipline for the next day’s observance
Those with medical needs should always adapt fasting in a safe way. Traditional observance may be strict, but health and practical circumstances should be respected. This is an explanatory recommendation based on the nature of the fast described in the Chhath calendar.
Kharna and the Beginning of the 36-Hour Fast
Many devotees associate Chhath with the famous 36-hour fast leading into the final rituals. Kharna is the day that leads directly into that phase. After consuming prasad on Day 2, the vratin begins the more demanding fast that continues through the main Chhath day and ends only after the final offering on the last day. The Chhath calendar describes that a full-day fast without water is observed on the third day and that the fasting continues through the night until Parana after the final offering on the fourth day.
This is why Kharna is often remembered as the doorway into the most intense spiritual discipline of the entire Chhath festival. 
What Makes Kharna Spiritually Special?
Kharna is spiritually special because it is not centred on outward festivity. It is centred on restraint, purity and surrender. There is no grand public display on this day in the way that the next day’s Arghya at the ghat becomes visible. Instead, Kharna is quiet, inward and deeply personal. It teaches that before a devotee can offer prayer publicly, devotion must first be built privately through simplicity and self-control. This interpretation aligns with the Chhath sequence described in the 2026 calendar, where Day 2 is explicitly the fasting and offering day before the main worship day.
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Kharna 2026 at a Glance
Festival: Chhath Puja Day 2
Name: Lohanda and Kharna
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Sunrise in New Delhi: 6:43 AM
Sunset in New Delhi: 5:28 PM
Main Practice: Day-long fast without water from sunrise to sunset
Fast Break: Just after sunset after offering food to Surya Dev
Importance: Preparation for Chhath Puja Day 3 and deeper fasting discipline
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q.When is Kharna in Chhath Puja 2026?
Kharna, also known as Lohanda and Kharna, falls on Saturday, November 14, 2026. It is the second day of Chhath Puja. On this day, devotees observe a fast without water from sunrise to sunset and break the fast just after sunset after offering food to Surya DevQ. What is Kharna in Chhath Puja?
Kharna is the second day of Chhath Puja, also called Lohanda and Kharna. It is observed with fasting and evening worship.Q.What is the Kharna 2026 date?
Kharna in 2026 falls on Saturday, November 14, 2026.Q. Is Kharna the same as Lohanda?
Yes. Chhath calendars list Day 2 as Lohanda and Kharna.Q.How is the Kharna fast observed?
The fast is observed without water from sunrise to sunset and is broken after sunset after making a food offering.Q.What is offered as Kharna prasad?
Traditionally, simple sattvic prasad such as gur kheer or rasiao and roti are commonly prepared and offered before the fast is broken. This is based on widely followed household practice alongside the offering ritual described in the Chhath observance.Q.Why is Kharna important?
Kharna is important because it prepares the vratin for the main Chhath Puja day and the stricter fasting phase that follows.
