Festival · 2026
Karwa Chauth 2026 — Thursday, 29 October 2026
Karwa Chauth is a day-long fast kept by many married women, and increasingly by couples together, from sunrise until the moon rises.
In 2026
Thursday, 29 October 2026
- Tithi
- Krishna Chaturthi (Krishna): 29 Oct, 1:07 AM – 29 Oct, 10:10 PM
- Lunar month
- Kartika (purnimanta) / Ashvin (amanta)
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:30 AM / 5:38 PM
- Moonrise
- 8:12 PM
| Fast (sunrise to moonrise) | 6:30 AM – 8:12 PM |
|---|
Rule: Kartika Krishna Chaturthi (Ashvin in the amanta reckoning) at moonrise; if the moon rises in it on neither day, the day it holds at sunrise.
In 2027
Monday, 18 October 2027
- Tithi
- Krishna Chaturthi (Krishna): 18 Oct, 5:52 PM – 19 Oct, 4:42 PM
- Lunar month
- Kartika (purnimanta) / Ashvin (amanta)
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:23 AM / 5:48 PM
- Moonrise
- 7:30 PM
| Fast (sunrise to moonrise) | 6:23 AM – 7:30 PM |
|---|
Rule: Kartika Krishna Chaturthi (Ashvin in the amanta reckoning) at moonrise; if the moon rises in it on neither day, the day it holds at sunrise.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Karwa Chauth?
Karwa Chauth falls on Chaturthi, the fourth day of the waning moon, in the month of Kartika by the purnimanta count used in the north, which is Ashvin in the amanta count. It is most widely kept in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Married women fast from sunrise and break the fast after sighting the moon, praying for their husband’s wellbeing and a long life together.
The name joins karwa, a small earthen pot with a spout, and chauth, the fourth day. Stories told at the evening puja include that of Veeravati, whose brothers could not bear to see her hungry and showed her a false moon, and that of Karwa, whose devotion is said to have saved her husband. The day has also long been a gathering of women, who meet, dress up and share the fast together.
Today the day means different things to different people. For some it is an act of devotion, for others a family tradition, a day with friends and henna, or a choice made together as partners, and many husbands now fast alongside their wives. It is a personal choice, and a woman who does not keep it, or cannot for reasons of health, cares no less for her family.
How it is observed
- Before dawn, women eat sargi, a meal traditionally sent by the mother-in-law, with fruit, sweets and dry fruits.
- The fast runs from sunrise to moonrise; many keep it without water, while others take water or fruit, especially for reasons of health.
- Hands are decorated with mehendi, and women dress in festive clothes, often bridal red.
- In the evening women gather for the puja with their karwas, listen to the Karwa Chauth katha and pass their thalis around the circle.
- When the moon rises, they look at it through a sieve, offer water as arghya, then look at their husband, who offers the first sip of water and bite of food.
- Pregnant women, those who are unwell and older women often keep a gentler form of the fast.
How the date is fixed
Karwa Chauth is Krishna Paksha Chaturthi of Kartika (Ashvin in the amanta reckoning). Since the fast ends at moonrise, our engine keeps it on the day Chaturthi is running when the moon rises. If the moon rises within Chaturthi on neither day, the day on which Chaturthi holds at sunrise is taken. The fast runs from sunrise to moonrise, and moonrise differs from city to city, so check the time for your own place.
Where practice differs
Karwa Chauth is chiefly a festival of the north and north-west, and it is also known as Karak Chaturthi. In Rajasthan, Chauth Mata is worshipped on the day. In the south and east the tithi is not widely kept as this fast, and in Gujarat and Maharashtra, where months are named the amanta way, the same day falls in Ashvin rather than Kartika.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
Can husbands keep the Karwa Chauth fast too?
Yes. Traditionally married women keep it, but many husbands now fast alongside their wives. It is a personal choice.
When is the Karwa Chauth fast broken?
After the moon rises: the moon is seen through a sieve, arghya is offered, and the husband offers the first sip of water.
Must the fast be kept without water?
No. Many keep a nirjala fast, but others take water or fruit, especially for reasons of health, and pregnant, unwell and older women often keep a gentler form.