Karwa Chauth will be observed on Thursday, October 29, in India. The Hindu festival is traditionally marked by married women keeping a day-long fast and praying for the long life, good health and well-being of their husbands. The fast is generally broken after the Moon is sighted and prayers are offered to it.
The festival falls on Krishna Paksha Chaturthi, the fourth day of the waning lunar fortnight in the Hindu month of Kartik according to the calendar commonly followed in North India. Karwa Chauth is also known as Karva Chauth or Karaka Chaturthi.Â
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Karwa Chauth 2026: Puja Muhurat and Fast Timings
According to the Drik Panchang, the Chaturthi Tithi will begin at approximately 1:06 am on Thursday and end at 10:09 pm the same day.Â
The Karwa Chauth puja muhurat in New Delhi is expected to be from 5:38 pm to 6:56 pm and the expected moonrise time is 8:17 pm.
The traditional fasting period in New Delhi is listed as 6:31 am to 8:17 pm. However, these timings are location-specific and moonrise may vary across cities. Devotees are advised to check their local Panchang before observing the fast.
Karwa Chauth 2026: Sargi, Puja Rituals and Fasting
The fast traditionally begins with Sargi, a pre-dawn meal prepared or sent by the mother-in-law. It may include fruits, dry fruits, sweets and other traditional foods depending on regional and family customs. Following this meal, women observe the traditional nirjala vrat abstaining from consuming both food and water until the rituals are completed in the evening after the Moon is sighted.
Women may dress in a traditional attire, apply mehendi and prepare the puja thali for the evening rituals. The thali commonly contains a diya, kumkum, rice grains, flowers, sweets and a karwa or a traditional earthen pot. A sieve is also kept ready for the moon sighting ritual.Â
During the designated puja muhurat, devotees worship Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh and Karwa Mata according to their family traditions. The Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha is also recited or heard during the puja.
At night, once the moon is sighted, women observing the fast offer arghya or water to the Moon. In many families they then use the sieve to look at the Moon and then look at their husbands through it. The fast is then broken, often with the husband feeding his wife and offering her water.Â
The precise sequence of rituals varies across communities and households.
Karwa Chauth 2026: City-Wise Moonrise Timings
According to the Drik Panchang, the expected moonrise timings for October 29 are as follows:Â
New Delhi: 8:17 PM
Lucknow: 8:06 PM
Jaipur: 8:28 PM
Mumbai: 9:00 PM
Pune: 8:58 PM
Bengaluru: 8:55 PM
Hyderabad: 8:41 PM
Chennai: 8:44 PM
Kolkata: 7:47 PM
Why Is Karwa Chauth Celebrated?
The word ‘Karwa’ refers to an earthen pot traditionally used during the water offering ritual, while ‘Chauth’ refers to the fourth lunar day on which the festival is observed. The fast is traditionally kept by married women who fast and pray for their husbands’ long life, good health and well being.
The festival is associated with several traditional stories, including the legend of Veeravati. According to the popular narrative, Veeravati’s brothers tricked her into believing that the Moon had risen, prompting her to break her fast early. The story says that her husband’s death and her subsequent penance eventually led to his return to life.
Another legend associated with marital devotion is the story of Savitri and Satyavan. These religious narratives are passed down through traditional retellings and may differ in their details.
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