- When is Karwa Chauth in 2026? Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Thursday, 29 October 2026 in India.
- What is the puja muhurat for Karwa Chauth 2026? In New Delhi, the puja muhurat runs from 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM.
- What time will the moon rise on Karwa Chauth 2026? Moonrise in New Delhi comes at 8:17 PM. You break the fast after you offer arghya to the moon.
- Families in the US and Canada keep the vrat on 28 October. The Chaturthi tithi covers moonrise on that evening there.
Around 4 in the morning of Karva Chauth, the mother-in-law gets out of bed. She places a plate of Sargi consisting of seasonal fruits, Mathri and sewai in milk. Her daughter-in-law sits beside her. They share the food and then there is complete silence. Sargi has come to an end and Nirjala Vrat has just begun.
In the evening, women gather in circles with their Thalis, wearing best Sarees along with solah shringar, starting from bangles and bindi to Sindhoor and Jewellery. Fresh Mehendi still has a fragrance of cloves on their palms. Some woman narrates Karwa Chauth vrat katha and all listen as if listening to it for the first time.
This is the essence of the Karva Chauth festival. It is not only a day of fasting but also of laughing, gifting, gossiping and offering prayers for suhag. This guide covers Karwa Chauth 2026 in full, from the date to the first sip of water.
Karwa Chauth 2026 at a glance
| Date | Thursday, 29 October 2026 |
| Month and paksha | Kartik Krishna Paksha, or Ashwin in the Amanta calendar |
| Chaturthi tithi | 1:06 AM to 10:09 PM on 29 October |
| Fasting window | 6:31 AM to 8:17 PM |
| Puja muhurat | 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM |
| Moonrise | 8:17 PM |
| Worshipped | Bhagwan Shiva, Maa Parvati, Shri Ganesh, Shri Kartikeya, Chauth Mata, Chandra Dev |
All timings follow Panchang calculations for New Delhi. They change with your city. So make sure to check timings for your city.
Karwa Chauth date 2026: why 29 October is the right day
When is Karwa Chauth in 2026? It falls on Thursday, 29 October 2026 in India. The Karwa Chauth date 2026 confuses many readers because of the tithi, not the calendar. In New Delhi, Chaturthi begins at 1:06 AM on 29 October. It ends at 10:09 PM that night. Moonrise at 8:17 PM sits inside that window.
The Panchang rule follows the moon. You keep the vrat on the day when Chaturthi covers the moonrise. So India observes it on 29 October. Some pages list 28 October. That date applies in time zones behind India, where the tithi starts earlier in the local day.
What is the date of Karwa Chauth 2026 Outside of India? US, Canada and UK
What is the date of Karwa Chauth 2026? Outside India, the US and Canada keep the vrat on Wednesday, 28 October. Chaturthi begins there at 3:36 PM, and the moon rises at about 7:35 PM in New York. The UK sits on a tithi edge. The world table below explains that case.
Karwa Chauth 2026 and Sankashti Chaturthi
Panchang listings note that Karwa Chauth 2026 also coincides with Vakratunda Sankashti Chaturthi. Devotees in Maharashtra and other regions fast for Shri Ganesh on this day. You can bow to Shri Ganesh first in your evening puja.
Karwa Chauth puja muhurat 2026
When is the muhurat of puja for Karwa Chauth 2026? The karwa chauth muhurat 2026 in New Delhi goes on from 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM. This muhurat takes 1 hour and 17 minutes. It starts after local sunset, which means the muhurat is different based on the city you live in.
Plan your day accordingly. Be ready for the shringar by 5 PM. Get the thali prepared, light the diya and begin reading the katha as the muhurat starts. Mostly all families complete the katha before even the appearance of the moon.
Karwa Chauth moonrise time 2026 in India
What time will the moon rise on Karwa Chauth 2026? In New Delhi, Karwa Chauth moonrise time 2026 is 8:17 PM. Moonrise is the moment that ends your fast. It changes from city to city, because the moon rises later as you travel west across India.
| City (29 October) | Puja window | Moonrise |
| New Delhi | 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM | 8:17 PM |
| Chandigarh | 5:37 PM to 6:54 PM | 8:12 PM |
| Jaipur | 5:46 PM to 7:03 PM | 8:27 PM |
| Lucknow | 5:26 PM to 6:43 PM | 8:06 PM |
| Kolkata | 5:01 PM to 6:18 PM | 7:46 PM |
| Ahmedabad | 6:03 PM to 7:20 PM | 8:51 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:06 PM to 7:23 PM | 9:00 PM |
| Hyderabad | 5:46 PM to 7:03 PM | 8:41 PM |
| Chennai | 5:43 PM to 7:00 PM | 8:43 PM |
| Bengaluru | 5:54 PM to 7:11 PM | 8:55 PM |
Important suggestion: Buildings, haze and hills often delay the first sighting. Step outside ten minutes early, and keep the thali ready.
Karwa Chauth 2026 timings across the world
Families abroad face a different puzzle. The tithi starts and ends at one instant everywhere, but local clocks differ. So the Karwa Chauth date 2026 changes by country. So, if you are looking for Karwa Chauth in 2026 outside of India? The answer depends on your city.
City-wise dates and moonrise
For New York and Toronto, it is 28 October. What time will the moon rise on Karwa Chauth 2026? There, it rises around 7:35 PM in New York and 7:45 PM in Toronto. What is the puja muhurat for Karwa Chauth 2026? Abroad, it starts at local sunset.
| City | Vrat date | Chaturthi tithi (local) | Sunrise | Puja window | Moonrise |
| New York | 28 Oct | 28 Oct 3:36 PM to 29 Oct 12:39 PM | 7:21 AM | 5:57 PM to 7:14 PM | 7:35 PM |
| Toronto | 28 Oct | 28 Oct 3:36 PM to 29 Oct 12:39 PM | 7:47 AM | 6:14 PM to 7:31 PM | 7:45 PM |
| London | 28 or 29 Oct | 28 Oct 7:36 PM to 29 Oct 4:39 PM | 6:46 AM (28), 6:48 AM (29) | Ask your mandir | 5:34 PM (28), 6:31 PM (29) |
| Dubai | 29 Oct | 28 Oct 11:36 PM to 29 Oct 8:39 PM | 6:24 AM | 5:40 PM to 6:57 PM | 8:28 PM |
| Sydney | 29 Oct | 29 Oct 6:36 AM to 30 Oct 3:39 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:20 PM to 8:37 PM | 11:14 PM |
We converted the New Delhi tithi times into each local time zone. We calculated sunrise, sunset and moonrise astronomically. Each puja window starts at local sunset and runs about 77 minutes. London sits at a tithi edge. Chaturthi begins after moonrise on 28 October and ends before moonrise on 29 October. Ask your nearest mandir or pandit which evening they follow.
What is Karwa Chauth?
Karwa Chauth is a one-day nirjala vrat observed by married women for long life of their husbands. Karwa means a clay pitcher/earthen pot. Chauth means the fourth day. The festival is celebrated on Krishna Paksha Chaturthi in Kartik. In Sanskrit, this festival is known as Karaka Chaturthi because of the pot carrying the arghya.
People often ask, “What is the difference between Karwa Chauth and Karva Chauth?” Only difference is the spelling. Who are the gods worshipped on Karwa Chauth? The entire Shiv family, headed by Maa Parvati.
Women keep fasting from sunrise to moonrise without having anything to eat or drink. Unmarried women also keep the fast along with married women. Husbands nowadays also fast along with their wives. The vrat comes to an end when the moon is sighted.
The first Karwa Chauth after marriage
A young bride has an emotional attachment with the very first Karwa Chauth. Her mother-in-law will prepare her first sargi for this auspicious festival. Her mother will send clothes and sweets for her. The story of Veeravati starts with the very first Karwa Chauth; hence it becomes important for new brides to hear it carefully. Newcomers often ask: What is eaten in sargi on Karwa Chauth? The vidhi section is listed later in this blog.
Karwa Chauth significance
The importance of Karwa Chauth lies in the concept of ‘tapas’, which implies austerity and penance involving body and soul. Tapas as described by Bhagwan Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita is mentioned in chapter 17. Verses 14 and 16 describe tapas of the body and tapas of the mind respectively.
Moderation matters too. In Gita 6.16, Bhagwan Shri Krishna says yoga does not suit one who overeats or never eats. Karwa Chauth therefore pairs strictness with care. The health note under the fasting rules builds on that verse.
But many younger women have question such as why only women keep karwa chauth vrat? Is this festival sexist? Well every such questions are answered in our blog – Why Women Fast on Karva Chauth – Story & Beliefs
Karwa Chauth vrat katha: three stories families tell
The katha is the essence of the night. History of Karwa Chauth has many origin stories. There are three stories which come up frequently. Each story is an example of patience. But yes the stories vary according to location.
The story of Queen Veeravati
Veeravati was the only sister of seven brothers. They adored her. After her marriage to a king, she returned to her parents’ home for her first Karwa Chauth. She kept the nirjala vrat with full devotion.
By evening, hunger and thirst weighed on her. Her brothers could not bear the sight. They placed a lamp behind a tree and showed her its glow through a sieve. “The moon has risen,” they said. Some tellings say they held a mirror instead.
Veeravati believed them, offered arghya and broke her fast. Then the news arrived. Her husband, the king, had collapsed. She rushed to his side and wept for days.
Maa Parvati appeared. She told Veeravati that the vrat had broken before the true moonrise. Then she asked her to keep every Krishna Chaturthi for one year with full rigour. Veeravati obeyed, and her tapasya brought her husband back to life. The katha leaves one lesson behind. Wait for the real moon.
Karva and Lord Yama
Karva lived on a riverbank with her husband. One day he went to bathe, and a crocodile seized his leg. Karva ran to the water and tied the crocodile with a cotton thread. Her devotion gave her that strength.
She then called on Yama, the lord of death. She asked him to punish the crocodile and spare her husband. Yama hesitated, so Karva warned him of her curse. He feared her tapas, spared her husband and blessed the couple with a long life. Tellings agree on the thread and the courage, and the festival carries her name.
Draupadi and Shri Krishna
In popular tellings, Draupadi turns to Bhagwan Shri Krishna when the Pandavas face trouble. Arjuna is away on tapasya at the Nilgiri mountain. Shri Krishna tells her how Maa Parvati once kept this same vrat to end her own troubles. Draupadi keeps the fast with full faith. Soon the Pandavas overcome their difficulties. This account completes the Karwa Chauth history that families pass down.
Karwa Chauth vrat vidhi and puja vidhi step by step
Karwa Chauth vrat vidhi begins before sunrise and finishes after sunset when the moon is sighted. The Karwa Chauth puja vidhi comes right in between, during dusk. Keep this Karwa Chauth puja vidhi by your thali and perform the rituals as per sequence.
The evening before the vrat
Prepare early so the vrat day stays calm. Wash the karwa and set out the thali items. Apply mehendi the night before, because it needs hours to darken. Confirm your city’s sunrise and moonrise times. Then set an alarm for sargi. Readers often ask: What items are needed for Karwa Chauth puja? The list below answers it.
What is eaten in sargi on Karwa Chauth?
Sargi is the pre-dawn meal that the mother-in-law prepares for her daughter-in-law. A typical thali holds fruit, dry fruits, mathri, pheni with milk and a sweet. Many mothers-in-law add a gift of shringar, such as bangles or a bindi. Sargi opens the Karwa Chauth vrat vidhi.
Eat slowly and drink plenty of water. Finish before sunrise, because the fasting window opens at 6:31 AM in New Delhi.
Sankalp for the vrat
After sargi, take your sankalp. Fold your hands and name the day. Then promise to keep the nirjala vrat for your husband’s long life. Speak in your own words and your own language.
What items are needed for Karwa Chauth puja?
- A karwa, the earthen pot, filled with water
- A diya with ghee, plus roli, kumkum and akshat
- Flowers and mauli thread
- A sieve, or chhalni
- Sweets, mathri and fruit
- A picture of the Shiv family or a Chauth Mata calendar
- A copper lota of water for arghya
- Sindoor, bangles and a bindi for shringar
Solah shringar and mehendi
Solah shringar means the sixteen adornments of a married woman. They include sindoor, bindi, bangles, mehendi and jewellery, along with a festive saree or lehenga. Red and maroon remain popular choices. Dress before the Karwa Chauth puja vidhi begins, so the puja starts without a rush.
Evening puja and katha
- Dress in your solah shringar and apply mehendi by afternoon.
- Set the thali and place the karwa before the images.
- Begin inside the muhurat. Offer roli, akshat and flowers to Shri Ganesh first.
- Offer the same to Bhagwan Shiva, Maa Parvati, Shri Kartikeya and Chauth Mata.
- Tie mauli thread around the karwa.
- Sit in a circle and listen to the Karwa Chauth vrat katha. Many circles pass thalis around seven times while they sing.
- Touch your mother-in-law’s feet and hand her the baya, the gift of sweets and shringar.
Chandra arghya and Karwa Chauth parana time
When the moon rises, step outside with your sieve and a lota of water. Look at the moon through the sieve first. Then look at your husband through the same sieve. Offer arghya to Chandra Dev, and pray for your family’s wellbeing. Moon worship closes the vrat. Clouds can spoil the view. So ask: What happens if the moon is not visible on Karwa Chauth? The fasting rules below answer it.
Touch your husband’s feet. He then gives you the first sip of water and the first bite. That moment is the Karwa Chauth parana time. It begins right after arghya, from 8:17 PM in New Delhi. Breaking the fast begins with water, then a light meal. Plan the Karwa Chauth parana time around your local moonrise.
Karwa daan after the puja
Many families give the karwa as daan to a Brahmin or an eligible woman after the puja. Some add fruit, sweets or a small dakshina. Giving completes the vrat with generosity.
Karwa Chauth fasting rules
Karva Chauth fasting requirements are very basic. You do not eat and you do not drink anything from sunrise until moonrise. It starts from 6:31 am and ends at 8:17 pm in New Delhi. Rise early for Sargi. After that, keep your day light. No day time sleeping is done by many families while keeping their minds engaged in prayers.
Who can observe the vrat?
It is led by married women. A number of unmarried women also observe it in order to get a good husband. Husbands too have started fasting along with their wives.
Health and the fast
Lord Bhagwan Shri Krishna warns of extremism in Gita 6.16. So consider the Karwa Chauth fasting guidelines considering your health. Respect your body. Pregnant ladies, diabetics, senior people and those who take medicines must consult a doctor before undertaking the vow. Several households opt for the water-vrat or phalahar vrat. Consult your family pandit for the same.
What happens if the moon is not visible on Karwa Chauth?
The clouds and high-rise buildings maybe responsible for hiding the moon. Make sure not to make any guesses and break the fast prematurely. The story of Veeravati provides the lesson. After passing the time of the computed moonrise, turn eastward and perform arghya to the moon. Some families cross-check through calls to their elders. Others look into the reflection of the moon in the water.
Which gods are worshipped on Karwa Chauth?
It is always questioned by the readers which deities are worshipped during Karwa Chauth. The answer is the whole Shiv family. The married women venerate Bhagwan Shiva and Maa Parvati as the perfect couple. They also worship Shri Ganesh, Shri Kartikeya and Chauth Mata.
Maa Parvati plays the most important role. Her tapasya for winning Bhagwan Shiva provides the example for the vrat. This combination determines the importance of Karwa Chauth for every couple. In the evening, women make arghya to Chandra Dev, as the moonrise decides when the fast ends. Karwa Chauth 2026 will coincide with Sankashti Chaturthi, so Shri Ganesh should be remembered this year.
Why is a sieve used during Karwa Chauth?
Why is a sieve used during Karwa Chauth? The honest answer has two parts. As fact, the sieve is a living custom, and the scriptures cited above do not prescribe it. As interpretation, families offer several meanings.
Many read the sieve as a filter. It lets a wife see only her husband’s goodness. The katha adds a note of caution. In some tellings, a sieve shows the false moon. So look carefully at the real one.
Conclusion
Karva Chauth 2025 is a living tradition that adapts across continents while staying rooted in its origins. Observing the fast, performing the puja, and offering the Karwa connect women to centuries of devotion, whether in Delhi, Toronto, Sydney, or Dubai.
Paying attention and performing the steps with awareness, from Sankalp to charity, gives the fast its full meaning. By blending devotion with intention, Karva Chauth continues to be a meaningful practice that brings focus, mindfulness, and a sense of continuity to modern life.
Frequently Asked Question About Karwa Chauth 2026
No, Karwa Chauth vrat is a religious and cultural tradition, not a universal obligation for every married woman. Whether to observe the fast depends on personal beliefs, health, and family customs. A woman’s decision to fast or not fast should not be treated as the sole measure of her devotion or commitment to her marriage.
Yes, a woman can observe Karwa Chauth even when her husband is away. She can perform the evening puja, offer arghya to Chandra Dev, and complete the vrat according to her family’s customs. She should follow the moonrise time for her own location rather than her husband’s location.
Sargi is a traditional pre-dawn meal, particularly in Punjabi and other North Indian families, but customs differ between households. If a woman’s mother-in-law is unavailable or does not prepare sargi, her family may arrange it differently according to its traditions. The exact menu and gifting customs are not the same everywhere.
Baya is a traditional gift or offering associated with Karwa Chauth in some North Indian communities. It is commonly sent by a married woman’s maternal family for her mother-in-law and may include sweets, clothes, or shringar items. The contents and exchange of baya vary by family and region.
There is no single response followed by every family when someone accidentally breaks the Karwa Chauth vrat. The appropriate religious response depends on the family’s tradition, so a trusted elder or priest can offer guidance. If eating, drinking, or taking medication becomes necessary for health reasons, prioritise your wellbeing instead of continuing an unsafe fast.
Practices around Karwa Chauth puja during menstruation differ among families and religious traditions. There is no single household custom that applies to everyone. Women can follow their family’s tradition or seek guidance from a trusted religious adviser, while making sure that fasting does not worsen their symptoms or compromise their health.
No, solah shringar is a traditional form of adornment associated with Karwa Chauth, but all sixteen adornments are not a universal requirement for every woman’s observance. Clothing and shringar practices vary between families. Women can dress comfortably for the Karwa Chauth puja while following the customs they observe.
Yes, working women can observe Karwa Chauth while managing their professional responsibilities. Preparing the puja thali the previous evening, arranging any customary sargi in advance, and checking local puja and moonrise timings can make the day easier to manage. Women should avoid overexertion and take care of their health during the fast.
There is no single rule followed by every family that a woman must observe Karwa Chauth every year without interruption once she begins. Some families treat it as an annual vrat, while others adapt their practice according to personal beliefs, health, and circumstances. The custom followed by a particular household may differ from that of another.
Karwa Chauth is most closely associated with North Indian communities, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. It is not observed uniformly by every Hindu community across India. Families in other regions may also celebrate it, but its popularity, rituals, and family customs vary by location.
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