The Delhi government has declared Monday, November 16, 2026 a public holiday on the occasion of Pratihar Shashthi or Surya Shashthi, known as Chhath Puja, for all government offices, autonomous bodies and Public Sector Undertakings under the Delhi government. The decision was reported by ETV Bharat on 10 November 2026.

The notification was issued by the General Administration Department in the name of the Lieutenant Governor. All operations in the covered institutions will remain suspended that day.

Chhath Puja will be celebrated from November 13 to 16 this year.

Ghats being prepared

More than 1,400 ghats are being prepared across Delhi, up from 1,326 last year, with changing rooms for women, CCTV cameras at major ghats, adequate lighting, tents and round-the-clock cleaning, according to the report.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a high-level review meeting with Chhath Puja committees and officials at Janseva Sadan on Monday, directing that all arrangements be completed well before the festival.

A special attraction this year is an 11-kilometre-long Chhath Ghat being developed along the Munak Canal, from Outer Ring Road to Indralok. BJP national president Nitin Nabin will inaugurate it on November 12 at an event near Singalpur village.

A festival for millions

Delhi is home to millions of people from the Purvanchal region, covering Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, who observe Chhath Puja as their most significant festival. Santosh Ojha of the Purvanchal Morcha welcomed the decision, according to the report.

For these families, Chhath is a four-day festival of fasting and prayer to the Sun, observed at riverbanks and ghats across the city. The holiday allows government employees to take part in the festival without taking leave.

The increase in the number of ghats, from 1,326 last year to more than 1,400 this year, reflects the growing number of devotees who gather in the capital for the festival.

What the holiday does not cover

The order does not cover private offices, schools, colleges or banks, according to the report. Those institutions will follow their own holiday schedules.

The preparations are now in their final stage, with the first day of the festival falling on November 13 and the main observances running through to November 16.