Vrat/Upavas Festival · Select a year for the Gregorian date
Karwa Chauth: Date, Moonrise Time, Puja Muhurat and Vrat Katha
Married women fast from sunrise to moonrise on Kartika Krishna Chaturthi. Select a year for moonrise and puja time.
करवा चौथ · · Krishna Chaturthi
- Muhurat (2026)
- Puja: 04:49 PM to 06:19 PM | Moonrise: 12:29 PM
- Hindu month
- Kartika
- Regions
- North India, Pan-India
- Deity
- Karwa / Karaka, Parvati–Shiva, the Moon (Chandra)
Karwa Chauth is a nirjala (waterless) vrat kept mainly in North India, observed by married women for the long life of their husbands, and increasingly by some unmarried women and by men in reciprocal fasts. The tithi is Kartika Krishna Chaturthi (some Panchangs say Ashwin Krishna Chaturthi depending on amanta/purnimanta month naming). Eat sargi before sunrise, fast through the day, perform evening Karwa Puja, then break the fast after seeing the moon through a sieve (channi), followed by water and food offered by the spouse. Solah shringar and mehndi are cultural, not the core of the vrat. Anyone with medical risk should keep a modified fast or skip nirjala.
When is Karwa Chauth?
Karwa Chauth is Thursday, 29 October, 2026. The fast follows the Chaturthi tithi and local moonrise, not a convenient weekend. Puja: 04:49 PM to 06:19 PM | Moonrise: 12:29 PM. If moonrise is later in your city, wait for your local moonrise. Clouds do not cancel the vrat: many priests allow breaking the fast by looking at a moon photograph or the sky direction after the calculated moonrise if the disk is invisible — follow your family elder or pandit. Use the year selector to see any other calendar.
- Date: Thursday, 29 October, 2026.
- Tithi: Kartika Krishna Chaturthi.
- Puja and moonrise: Puja: 04:49 PM to 06:19 PM | Moonrise: 12:29 PM (indicative IST).
Sargi, puja and breaking the fast
Sargi (eaten before dawn) is given by the mother-in-law in many families: fruits, sweets, and water. After sunrise, nirjala observers take no food or water. In the evening, women gather for the vrat katha with a karwa (earthen pot), diya, and decorated thali. After moonrise, look at the moon through the sieve, then at the spouse, sip water, and eat a light meal first. Mehndi stains and heavy jewellery are optional. The vrata’s integrity is the fast and the evening puja, not the photoshoot.
| Step | Typical timing (IST, indicative) |
|---|---|
| Sargi | Before sunrise, 28 October |
| Nirjala fast | Sunrise to moonrise |
| Karwa Puja | 05:38 PM – 06:54 PM |
| Moonrise / fast break | About 08:14 PM — use local moonrise |
Health, consent and modern practice
Nirjala fasting in October heat or while commuting is medically stressful. Pregnant women, people with diabetes, kidney issues, or a history of fainting should not keep a waterless fast. A fruit-and-water vrat is a valid expression of the same intention. The vrat is voluntary; it is not a test of loyalty. Couples may choose to fast together or to mark the evening with puja only.
Key sacred rituals
- Eating Sargahi before sunrise
- Applying Mehendi on hands and wearing Solah Shringar
- Surgahi storytelling and evening Karwa Puja
- Viewing the moon through sieve (Chhani) before breaking fast
Frequently asked questions
When is Karwa Chauth?
Karwa Chauth is on Wednesday, 28 October.
What time is moonrise on Karwa Chauth?
Indicative moonrise is 08:14 PM IST on 28 October. Always use moonrise for your city; it can differ by 20–40 minutes.
What is the Karwa Chauth puja muhurat?
The indicative puja muhurat is 05:38 PM to 06:54 PM IST on 28 October.
Can I drink water during Karwa Chauth?
A classical nirjala vrat does not allow water until moonrise. If your health requires water, drink it — a modified vrat is better than medical harm.
What if the moon is not visible?
Wait until calculated local moonrise, then follow your family custom: some look toward the moon’s direction or a photo, then break the fast.
Muhurat times are indicative for IST and may vary by city sunrise and tithi. Confirm with Today's Panchang.