Karwa Chauth 2026: Moonrise Time in Your City, Sargi, Puja Vidhi & Katha

What Is Karwa Chauth?

Karwa Chauth is a one-day Hindu fast kept by married women for the long life, health and wellbeing of their husbands. It runs from sunrise to moonrise, usually without food or water, and is broken after offering arghya to the moon.

The name comes from two words: karwa, the small earthen pot used to offer water to the moon, and chauth, the fourth day (Chaturthi) of the waning moon in the month of Kartik. It falls about nine days before Diwali.

Karwa Chauth is most widely celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, and by North Indian families around the world. Women worship Karwa Mata, a form of Goddess Parvati (Gauri), along with Lord Shiva and Ganesha, and the evening puja is often done together with other women from the neighbourhood.

Karwa Chauth 2026 Date and Timings

Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October 2026, across India. Chaturthi tithi begins at 1:06 AM and ends at 10:09 PM on 29 October, so the whole fast falls on that day.

In Maharashtra and Gujarat, the same day is also observed as Vakratunda Sankashti Chaturthi for Lord Ganesha.

Karwa Chauth Moonrise Time 2026 in Your City

Karwa Chauth moonrise time 2026 is 8:17 PM in New Delhi, but it changes by city, from about 7:47 PM in Kolkata to 9:00 PM in Mumbai. Find your city below.

Timings are based on Panchang data, with Punjab and Haryana cities cross-checked against Astropatri's city table. Panchangs can differ by a minute or two, and haze or tall buildings can delay the actual sighting, so most families wait until the moon is clearly visible before offering arghya.

Karwa Chauth 2026 Moonrise Time in USA, Canada and UK

Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Wednesday, 28 October in the USA and Canada, and on Thursday, 29 October in the UK, the same day as India. Use your local moonrise time, never India's.

NRI timings as per panchang city-wise moonrise tables. Check a local panchang if your city isn't listed.

Sargi: What to Eat Before Sunrise

Sargi is the pre-dawn meal, traditionally sent or prepared by the mother-in-law, eaten before sunrise to carry you through the fast. Keep it light and hydrating rather than heavy or oily.

• Pheni or seviyan with warm milk: The classic sargi dish, filling and gentle on the stomach.

• Fruits: Banana, apple, pomegranate and coconut water for steady energy and fluids.

• Soaked dry fruits: Almonds, walnuts and dates.

• A paratha with curd, or mathri, if you need something more filling.

• Water: Drink enough before sunrise, since the fast is usually nirjala (without water).

Many families skip tea, coffee and very salty or fried food at sargi, because they make thirst harder through the day.

Karwa Chauth Puja Vidhi at Home

The Karwa Chauth puja vidhi is simple: eat sargi and take the sankalp at dawn, do the evening puja of Karwa Mata within the muhurat, hear the katha, and break the fast after offering arghya to the moon.

1. Sargi and sankalp: Eat sargi before sunrise, then take the vow of the fast.

2. Shringar: Apply mehendi during the day and dress in red or bridal colours for the evening.

3. Prepare the thali: Set out the karwa (earthen pot) filled with water, a diya, roli, rice, sweets and the chhalni (sieve).

4. Evening puja: Worship Karwa Mata, also called Chauth Mata (Goddess Gauri), with Lord Shiva and Ganesha within the puja muhurat, often in a circle with other women.

5. Hear the katha: Listen to or read the Karwa Chauth katha while the thalis are passed around the circle.

6. Arghya at moonrise: Once the moon is visible, offer water to it from the karwa, view the moon through the sieve, then view your husband through it.

7. Break the fast: Your husband offers you the first sip of water and the first bite of food.

What to Eat After Breaking the Fast

After a full day without water, start with small sips of water or coconut water, then something sweet. Follow with a light meal like dal, rice or khichdi, and avoid heavy fried food right away.

Karwa Chauth Puja Samagri List

Keep the thali ready by afternoon so the evening puja isn't rushed.

• Karwa (earthen or metal pot) with a lid, filled with water

• Diya, cotton wicks and ghee

• Roli, akshat (rice) and sindoor

• Chhalni (sieve) for viewing the moon

• A lota of water for arghya

• Sweets, mathri, fruits and dry fruits

• A Karwa Mata picture or printed calendar for the puja

• Incense, flowers and a small kalash

• Baya for your mother-in-law: Clothes, sweets, dry fruits and a token gift

For the diya, pure Gir Cow Bilona Ghee is a traditional choice, and you'll find thali essentials in our Pooja Collection.

Karwa Chauth Katha in Short

The best-known Karwa Chauth katha is the story of Queen Veeravati, the only sister of seven loving brothers. On her first Karwa Chauth, she grew weak from fasting, and her brothers, unable to watch her suffer, created a false moon with a lamp behind a tree. Veeravati broke her fast early, and soon learned that her husband had died.

Heartbroken, she prayed to Goddess Parvati, who told her about the trick and asked her to keep the vrat again with full faith. Veeravati did so the next year, and her husband's life was restored. The story is why the fast is broken only after the real moon is sighted.

Many families also recite the stories of Karwa, the devoted wife who saved her husband from a crocodile and gave the festival its name, and of Savitri and Satyavan.

Pehla Karwa Chauth: Tips for New Brides

On your pehla Karwa Chauth, the sargi from your mother-in-law, your bridal shringar and the baya (a gift set for your mother-in-law) carry special meaning. Many brides wear their wedding outfit or a red saree or lehenga for the evening puja.

• Plan your sargi: Eat it well before sunrise, and include fruits and fluids.

• Dress early: Be ready by about 5:30 PM, before the puja muhurat begins.

• Prepare the baya: Clothes, sweets, dry fruits and a token gift for your mother-in-law, offered after the puja.

• Keep it joyful: The day is also a celebration of marriage, so spend it with family and other women keeping the fast.

A health note: Karwa Chauth is usually a nirjala fast, without food or water. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or on regular medication, speak to your doctor first. Many families accept a phalahar fast with fruit and water in these cases, and that keeps the vrat's spirit intact. If you feel dizzy, faint, confused or have a racing heartbeat during the fast, drink water and eat something right away. Your health matters more than completing the vrat.

Conclusion

Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Thursday, 29 October: Sargi before dawn, a day of patience, the evening puja and katha, and a fast broken under your city's moon. Keep your moonrise time handy, prepare the thali early, and take care of your health through the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Karva Chauth kab hai in 2026?
A: Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October 2026, in India. In the USA and Canada, it falls a day earlier, on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.

Q: What if the moon isn't visible because of clouds?
A: Many families offer arghya at the panchang moonrise time for their city, facing the direction the moon rises, and then break the fast. Some wait for a relative in another city to confirm the sighting. Follow your family's custom.

Q: Can unmarried girls keep the Karwa Chauth fast?
A: Yes, in many families today unmarried girls keep the fast, usually praying for a good life partner. Some follow a lighter fast and break it by sighting the stars instead of the moon.

Q: Why is the moon seen through a sieve?
A: Viewing the moon and then your husband through the chhalni is a symbolic way of filtering out everything else and focusing your prayer on the one person the vrat is kept for.

Q: Can I drink water during the Karwa Chauth fast?
A: Traditionally, Karwa Chauth is a nirjala fast, without water, until moonrise. Many women who are pregnant, unwell or on medication keep a phalahar fast with water and fruit instead, and that's widely accepted.

Q: Can I keep the Karwa Chauth fast during periods?
A: Customs differ by family. Many women keep the fast but skip touching the puja items, while others take part fully. Follow your family's tradition, or ask an elder or your astrologer.