Chhath Puja WhatsApp message templates are pre-approved texts that businesses send to opted-in customers for Chhath, which runs from Nahay Khay on Friday, 13 November to Usha Arghya on Monday, 16 November 2026 as per Drik Panchang. Any Chhath wish or offer from a business belongs in Meta's marketing category and needs opt-in plus template approval, while order confirmations, delivery slots and receipts are utility templates.
Chhath is dedicated to Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya and is observed most widely in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and by families from these regions in every Indian city. Vratins keep a demanding fast, offer arghya at sunset and sunrise from riverbanks and ponds, and prepare prasad such as thekua at home. That creates real demand for sweet shops, puja samagri sellers, fruit vendors, saree stores, jewellers, kirana stores and bus operators.
Chhath Puja 2026 dates and when to send
Key dates: as per Drik Panchang, Nahay Khay falls on Friday, 13 November 2026 (Chaturthi), Kharna or Lohanda on Saturday, 14 November (Panchami), Sandhya Arghya on Sunday, 15 November (Shashthi) and Usha Arghya at sunrise on Monday, 16 November (Saptami). Sunset and sunrise times differ by city, so check your local panchang before you quote any arghya time.
Chhath comes only days after Diwali and Bhai Dooj, so your customers will already have received many festive offers. Purchases also start early: families book travel home weeks ahead, and samagri, soop, daura and fruit baskets must arrive before Nahay Khay. Plan your sends backwards from 13 November. The calendar below is guidance based on how festive shoppers usually buy, not a fixed rule.
| Date (2026) | Chhath stage | What to send | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid to late October | 2 to 4 weeks before | Bus seats and travel help for the journey home | Bus operators, travel agents |
| 1 to 9 November | Festive week | Saree and ethnic wear, jewellery, thekua pre-orders | Fashion stores, jewellers, sweet shops |
| 10 to 12 November | Final days before | Samagri baskets, soop and daura, fruit baskets, grocery lists, delivery slot confirmations | Samagri sellers, fruit vendors, kirana stores |
| 13 November | Nahay Khay | Respectful wishes, order updates, store timings | All businesses |
| 14 November | Kharna | Early-morning milk, gur and rice deliveries; no heavy promotion | Kirana stores, dairies |
| 15 to 16 November | Sandhya and Usha Arghya | Wishes only, sent before the evening arghya or after sunrise | All businesses |
| 17 to 20 November | After Chhath | Return journey seats, thank-you messages, review requests | Bus operators, all verticals |
Respect matters more than reach during Chhath. Do not schedule offers to land during the arghya hours, when families are at the ghat, and keep the tone devotional rather than pushy. If you also ran Diwali and Bhai Dooj campaigns, use different segments or space messages by at least a day.
28 Chhath Puja WhatsApp message templates
Copy these into your template manager. Templates 1 to 25 go in the marketing category, and templates 26 to 28 in utility. Variables appear as {{1}}, {{2}} and so on. Each template starts and ends with fixed text, because Meta rejects templates that begin or end with a variable. Give realistic sample values, such as "Sunita" and "Patna", when you submit, and add the button named in the last line plus a Stop promotions quick reply on every marketing template.
Respectful Chhath wishes
These wishes carry no offer, but a greeting from a business is still a marketing template under Meta's category rules. Keep them short and devotional, and send them to customers who opted in.
1. Simple devotional wish
Namaste {{1}} ji,
Chhathi Maiya aapke parivar ko sukh, samriddhi aur achchi sehat dein.
Warm Chhath Puja wishes from all of us at {{2}}.
2. Surya Arghya blessing
Dear {{1}},
As your family offers arghya to Surya Dev this Chhath, we pray for light, health and happiness in your home.
With respect, team {{2}}.
3. Bhojpuri-flavoured wish
Pranam {{1}} ji,
Jai Chhathi Maiya! Chhathi Maiya sabke manokamna puran karas.
Chhath Puja ke dher saari shubhkamna, {{2}} pariwar ki or se.
4. Store timings with a wish
Namaste {{1}} ji, Chhath Puja ki shubhkamnayein.
Our {{2}} store will be closed on {{3}} so our team can join the arghya with their families.
We reopen on 17 November. Thank you.
Thekua, prasad and Kharna kits
5. Thekua pre-order from a sweet shop
Namaste {{1}} ji, ghar jaisa thekua ab {{2}} par.
Pure ghee and gur thekua, packed for Chhath prasad, from ₹{{3}} per kg.
Pre-order by 11 November. Tap Pre-order to book.
6. Prasad box for families away from home
Hi {{1}}, can't make thekua this year?
{{2}} has a Chhath prasad box with thekua, khajur and kasar, made in a clean kitchen.
Tap Order box to get it before 13 November.
7. Gur and rice kheer kit for Kharna
Namaste {{1}} ji, Kharna ki tayari shuru?
Get a Kharna kit at {{2}}: new gur, arwa chawal and full cream milk, ready for pickup on 14 November morning.
Tap Reserve kit to book.
8. Bulk thekua for societies and ghats
Hi {{1}}, organising prasad for your society or ghat committee?
{{2}} takes bulk thekua orders of {{3}} kg and above with delivery on 14 November.
Tap Get quote to share your quantity.
Sweet shops can pair these with the playbook in our guide to the best WhatsApp Business API for sweet shops, which covers pre-orders, pickup slots and festive catalogues.
Puja samagri, soop, daura and fruit baskets
9. Complete puja samagri basket
Namaste {{1}} ji, poora Chhath samagri ek basket mein.
Soop, daura, diya, sindoor, kalawa and roli, packed by {{2}}, from ₹{{3}}.
Tap Order basket to choose a delivery slot before 13 November.
10. Bamboo soop and daura
Hi {{1}}, handmade bamboo soop and daura are back at {{2}}.
Sizes for one vratin or the whole family, with home delivery in {{3}}.
Tap View soop to pick yours.
11. Fruit basket with sugarcane
Namaste {{1}} ji, Chhath fruit basket ready to book at {{2}}.
Sugarcane, banana bunch, coconut, nimbu and seasonal fruits, delivered fresh on 14 November.
Tap Book basket to reserve.
12. Brass and copper lota for arghya
Hi {{1}}, offer arghya in a new brass or copper lota this Chhath.
Lota, thali and diya sets at {{2}} from ₹{{3}}.
Tap Shop arghya sets to see designs.
Sarees and ethnic fashion
13. New saree for the ghat
Namaste {{1}} ji, ghat par nayi saree ke saath.
Cotton and silk sarees in yellow, orange and red at {{2}}, from ₹{{3}}.
Tap Shop Chhath sarees to see the collection.
14. Family ethnic wear combo
Hi {{1}}, dress the whole family for Chhath.
Saree, kurta and kids' ethnic sets at {{2}} with {{3}}% off on combos till 12 November.
Tap See combos to choose.
15. Saree with fall and pico done
Namaste {{1}} ji, buy your Chhath saree at {{2}} by {{3}} and get fall and pico done free, ready before Nahay Khay.
Tap Shop now to pick one.
Travel home to Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern UP
16. Bus seats home to Bihar
Hi {{1}}, ghare aawe ke tayari ba?
{{2}} AC sleeper buses from {{3}} to Patna, Gaya and Muzaffarpur for Chhath week.
Seats are filling. Tap Book seat to reserve.
17. Jharkhand and eastern UP routes
Namaste {{1}} ji, going home for Chhath?
{{2}} runs extra buses to Ranchi, Dhanbad, Gorakhpur and Varanasi from {{3}}.
Tap See buses to check seats.
18. Train ticket help from a travel agent
Hi {{1}}, planning to travel home for Chhath Puja?
{{2}} can help you book train and bus tickets for 12 November and your return journey.
Tap Plan trip to share your dates.
19. Return journey reminder
Hi {{1}}, hope your Chhath at home was blessed.
Book your return journey with {{2}} from {{3}} for 17 to 20 November.
Tap Book return to see seats.
Jewellery
20. Sindoor daan and nose pin collection
Namaste {{1}} ji, Chhath ke liye sone aur chaandi ke gehne.
Nath, bichhiya and sindoor daan at {{2}} with {{3}}% off making charges.
Tap View collection to see designs.
21. Silver coin with Surya motif
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Hi {{1}}, mark this Chhath with a silver coin carrying the Surya motif.
Available at {{2}} from ₹{{3}}, gift-boxed.
Tap Shop coins to reserve one.
22. Old gold exchange before Chhath
Namaste {{1}} ji, exchange old gold for new designs at {{2}} before Chhath.
Free purity check and {{3}}% off making charges till 12 November.
Tap Book visit to choose a time.
Grocery and kirana
23. Chhath grocery list delivered
Namaste {{1}} ji, Chhath ka poora saaman ek order mein.
Ghee, gur, atta, arwa chawal, ganna and fruits from {{2}}, delivered by 12 November.
Tap Send list to order on WhatsApp.
24. Early morning Kharna delivery
Hi {{1}}, need milk, gur or rice for Kharna?
{{2}} delivers from 6 AM on 14 November in {{3}}.
Tap Order now to book a slot.
25. Kirana combo for the vrat
Namaste {{1}} ji, our Chhath vrat combo at {{2}} has gur, ghee, wheat flour, dry coconut and dry fruits for ₹{{3}}.
Tap Get combo to order.
Utility: confirmations, delivery slots and receipts
These three are plain updates about an order the customer already placed, so they qualify as utility. Do not add a discount or a "shop more" line, or Meta will treat them as marketing. For more wording options, see our order confirmation and shipping message templates.
26. Order confirmation (utility)
Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} for Chhath puja samagri is confirmed.
Total: ₹{{3}}. We will share your delivery slot shortly.
Reply to this message if anything needs changing.
27. Delivery slot before Nahay Khay (utility)
Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} will be delivered on {{3}} between {{4}}.
This is before Nahay Khay on 13 November.
Tap Change slot if this time does not suit you.
28. Payment receipt (utility)
Hi {{1}}, we have received your payment of ₹{{2}} for order {{3}}.
Payment mode: {{4}}. Keep this message as your receipt.
Thank you for shopping with us.
Planning the whole festive season? Our Diwali offer message templates and Bhai Dooj offer message templates cover the days just before Chhath, so you can keep one consistent voice across all three festivals.
Marketing or utility: category and cost of each Chhath message
Definition: a marketing template is any WhatsApp template that promotes a product, offer, event or brand, including festive greetings from a business. A utility template is a non-promotional update about a specific order, booking or account the customer already has. Our explainer on WhatsApp message template categories goes deeper into how Meta reviews each type.
| Message | Category | RichAutomate SaaS Pay price |
|---|---|---|
| Chhath Puja wish from your store | Marketing | ₹1.50 per message |
| Thekua pre-order or prasad box offer | Marketing | ₹1.50 per message |
| Soop, daura or fruit basket booking offer | Marketing | ₹1.50 per message |
| Bus seats home for Chhath week | Marketing | ₹1.50 per message |
| Samagri order confirmation | Utility | ₹0.50 per message |
| Delivery slot before Nahay Khay | Utility | ₹0.50 per message |
| Payment receipt | Utility | ₹0.50 per message |
| Delivery update plus a discount line | Marketing | ₹1.50 per message |
The maths is customers multiplied by sends multiplied by the per-message price. A sweet shop that sends 2 marketing messages to 1,500 opted-in customers sends 3,000 messages, or ₹4,500. If 400 of them order and each gets a confirmation and a delivery slot, that is 800 utility messages, or ₹400. Customer replies inside the 24-hour window are free per Meta. If you would rather pay Meta's charge directly, Client Pay costs Meta's charge plus ₹0.10 per message.
Do not use the utility category for offers to save cost. Meta reviews templates and can re-categorise or reject them, and a pattern of mislabelled templates puts your account at risk.
Opt-in and the do's and don'ts of festive sends
Meta requires opt-in before any marketing template: the customer must have agreed to receive WhatsApp messages from your business. Meta also limits how many marketing templates one person receives across all businesses in a period, so some sends may not be delivered (error 131049) even when everything is set up correctly.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Collect opt-in at billing, by QR code, on your website or via a click-to-WhatsApp ad, and record it | Upload a bought list or numbers copied from a group |
| Add a Stop promotions quick reply to every marketing template | Keep messaging someone who asked you to stop |
| Keep wishes devotional and offers honest | Use the festival for fake urgency or invented stock limits |
| Send offers before Nahay Khay and wishes on the festival days | Schedule promotions during the arghya hours |
| Segment by interest: samagri buyers, saree buyers, travellers | Send every template to your full list |
| Keep utility updates free of offers | Submit an offer as utility to lower cost |
No provider can promise that a number will never be restricted or that a template will be approved. Following opt-in, relevance and frequency rules is the best protection you have, and it keeps your quality rating healthy for the wedding season that follows.
Getting Chhath templates approved
- Write in plain language: Hindi, Bhojpuri-flavoured or Hinglish lines in Roman script are fine, but keep the offer, price and button text clear.
- Give sample values: every variable needs realistic sample text, such as a customer name, a city or an order number.
- Avoid sensitive claims: do not promise blessings, health outcomes or "guaranteed" results from a product. A wish is a wish; an offer is an offer.
- Submit early: reviews usually move fast, but rejected templates need edits and resubmission, so load your Chhath set at least a week before you plan to send.
Reaching families who travel home for Chhath
Many customers from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh live and work in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Surat, and a large number travel home for Chhath. That splits your audience in two: people who will celebrate at home in their native town, and people who will celebrate where they work.
- Ask once, tag for later: a quick reply such as "Going home for Chhath?" with Yes and No buttons lets you tag customers and send each group only what fits.
- Deliver to the family: samagri and fruit basket sellers in Bihar and Jharkhand can take orders from relatives in other cities and deliver to the family home before Nahay Khay.
- Time the return journey: travellers need return seats right after Usha Arghya, so schedule that message for 16 or 17 November, not during the festival.
Send Chhath Puja templates with RichAutomate
- Template manager: submit these marketing and utility templates with variables and buttons, and track approval in one place.
- Segmented broadcasts: send to opted-in tags such as samagri buyer, saree customer or traveller, and schedule each step of the calendar.
- Opt-out handling: customers who tap Stop promotions are excluded from later campaigns automatically.
Pricing stays simple: start on pay-as-you-go with ₹0 setup and ₹0 monthly and pay only per message, at ₹1.50 for marketing and ₹0.50 for utility on SaaS Pay, or Meta's charge plus ₹0.10 per message on Client Pay. Teams that want more automation can choose Starter at ₹499/mo, Pro at ₹899/mo or White-label at ₹1,199/mo. Every account gets a 14-day trial with 100 credits, and GST is required to take your WhatsApp Business API number live. See the full breakdown on our RichAutomate pricing page.
Chhath starts with Nahay Khay on 13 November, so the samagri and travel window opens in early November. Start your free RichAutomate trial, load these Chhath Puja templates and get them approved before the festive rush.