Chhath 2026: planning the return journey from Bihar and UP

When Chhath falls and why the return is the hard part

Chhath Puja is celebrated mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and it falls about a week after Diwali. Our Diwali 2026 travel guide gives 8 November for Diwali, which puts Nahay Khay, the first day of the rituals, around 13 November and the morning arghya around 16 November by our estimate. Confirm the exact dates in an official calendar or a state government notice before you fix your leave, because the dates follow the lunar calendar.

The outward journey is spread over the days before the festival. The return is more concentrated, because many families head home and then leave again within a few days of each other. That can make the return leg the one where confirmed seats are harder to find, so do not leave it for later.

Book the return now, while every mid-November date is open

The advance reservation period is 60 days, excluding the journey day. Journeys up to 18 December 2026 are inside that window today, so every return date in mid-November is already bookable. The table shows when each date opened.

Dates after 18 December are not open yet. The window moves forward each day, so check it again for any return later than that.

Booking has one more condition. Since 12 January 2026, only Aadhaar-authenticated IRCTC users can book general reserved tickets online on the day booking opens, between 08:00 and midnight. Link your Aadhaar to your account now, so you are not locked out when the date for your return arrives.

Trains to check for the return

Several of these trains run only on some days of the week, so check the train page for run days before you book. The departure times are from our timetable at the station named, and the journey time is the full run from our database.

If you are returning to New Delhi from a smaller station, check the departures board for that station for your date, because a train can call at a junction a few hours earlier or later than it does at your home station. The live boards for the main stations are linked below.

Crowd days and a second station

Crowds at the main stations are likely to build in the days just before Nahay Khay and again in the days after the morning arghya, though we have no official figure for this. Those are the dates to check first and the dates to have a backup for. Check the seat position for each date on the trip planner rather than assuming that one particular day is quieter.

If every train from your home station is full, look at a larger station in the same district. Our guide to alternate boarding stations explains how the rules work. The main stations for the Chhath routes are Patna Junction, Gaya Junction, Muzaffarpur Junction, Darbhanga Junction, Ballia and Gorakhpur Junction.

Compare the nearby option before you commit. A smaller station may have a train that a junction does not, or the reverse, so check both on the same date rather than assuming the bigger station is better.

If your return is waitlisted

A waitlisted ticket can still confirm, but the timing of the chart matters. As of 2026, the first reservation chart is prepared at least 10 hours before departure. For a train leaving between 05:00 and 14:00, that means by 20:00 the previous night. A second, final chart comes closer to departure. Check your status after the first chart, then move to your fallback if it has not confirmed. The details are in our guide to chart preparation time.

Tatkal is a fallback, not a plan. Tatkal booking opens one day before the journey, at 10:00 for AC classes and 11:00 for non-AC classes, and it needs Aadhaar authentication. Read Tatkal booking times for AC and non-AC before you rely on it.

Festival specials: search by route and date

Special trains often get temporary numbers, and they may not show up in live status or booking until they are notified. Do not rely on a number you remember from last year. Search the station pair for your date, then read the run days on the train page. Our notes on how festival specials are numbered and announced and on duplicate special trains explain what to look for.

We have not listed any 2026 Chhath special in this guide, because its run dates are not confirmed here. If a special appears on your route, check its run days and full route before you book.

Return checklist

1. Book the return as soon as you have dates, and note the window date for each one.
2. Link your Aadhaar to your IRCTC account before the day your return opens for booking.
3. Check at least three trains and one alternate station for the same day.
4. Set a reminder for the first chart time, which is at least 10 hours before departure.
5. Keep a Tatkal fallback ready, and treat it as a backup only.
6. Save 139 for help on the train. For ticket questions, IRCTC customer care is 14646.