Karwa Chauth · Karaka Chaturthi
A day-long fast for a spouse’s wellbeing, broken at moonrise.
This week · in 3 days Kartika Krishna Chaturthi (amanta: Ashwin Krishna Chaturthi)Times for New Delhi (IST)
Date, muhurat and timings
Rule: Kartika Krishna Chaturthi (purnimanta), kept until moonrise
Karwa Chauth timings, Thursday, 29 October 2026, New Delhi
| Chaturthi tithi begins | 1:07 am |
|---|---|
| Chaturthi tithi ends | 10:11 pm |
| Fasting time | 6:30 am – 8:12 pm |
| Puja muhurat | 5:38 pm – 6:55 pm |
| Sunset | 5:38 pm |
| Moonrise | 8:12 pm |
Moonrise is astronomical moonrise for a level horizon; above buildings or hills the Moon may be visible a few minutes later.
The time after that: Monday, 18 October 2027
All times are for New Delhi, computed from the sidereal (Lahiri) panchang. They update themselves daily and roll over to the next date once the festival has passed. Today’s panchang for New Delhi
Karwa Chauth is a day of love and quiet resolve. Married women (and, increasingly, couples together) keep a fast from sunrise and break it after seeing the Moon, praying for a long, healthy life together. Below are this year’s date, the moonrise time and the evening puja window, worked out for your city.
Meaning and story of Karwa Chauth
The name joins karwa, the small clay pot used to offer water to the Moon, with chauth, the fourth day of the waning Moon in Kartika. Coming just before Diwali, the day has long been a time for married women to gather, dress in festive colours, share stories and support one another through the fast.
The best-known story is of Queen Veeravati, whose brothers could not bear to see her hungry and tricked her into breaking the fast early with a false moon. Her devotion and a second, sincere fast restored what was lost. The story is less about fear than about patience and keeping one’s word, which is why many families now tell it with a smile and keep the day together.
Puja vidhi, step by step
- Before sunrise, eat the sargi: the meal or fruit tray traditionally given by the mother-in-law.
- Keep the fast through the day. Many keep it without water (nirjala); anyone unwell, pregnant or on medication should keep a gentle fruit-and-water fast instead.
- In the evening, set up the puja with an image of Goddess Gauri (Parvati) with Shiva and Ganesha, a karwa filled with water and a lamp.
- Join other women in the puja circle, pass the thalis, and listen to or read the Karwa Chauth katha.
- At moonrise, look at the Moon through a sieve, offer water (arghya) from the karwa, and pray.
- Then look at your spouse through the sieve; take the first sip of water and bite of food from their hand.
What you will need
- Karwa (clay or metal pot) with lid
- Sieve (chhalni)
- Diya, ghee and cotton wicks
- Roli, rice and sindoor
- Sweets, mathri and fruit
- Image of Gauri-Shiva-Ganesha
- Red cloth and bangles for the thali
- Water for arghya
Do
- Eat a nourishing sargi with fruit, nuts and some protein.
- Rest when you can and keep the day calm.
- Check the moonrise time for your own city; it changes by city.
- Break the fast slowly, with water and light food first.
Avoid
- Don’t push through dizziness or illness; a fruit fast is fully within tradition.
- Don’t rely on another city’s moonrise time.
- Avoid quarrels and harsh words on the day.
- Don’t overeat heavy food right after the fast.
A small note for each rashi this Karwa Chauth
Gentle, general suggestions for your Moon sign, not predictions. Every sign is welcome at every festival.
- Mesha Aries
Your gift: initiative, comfortable going first. Say the warm words out loud today; your partner and family will treasure your openness.
- Vrishabha Taurus
Your gift: patience and staying power. Show love in a practical way: cook, plan or help, the way you do best.
- Mithuna Gemini
Your gift: fast learning and adaptability. Plan a long, unhurried conversation with someone you love; listening is your gift today.
- Karka Cancer
Your gift: empathy and emotional intelligence. Let yourself be cared for too; receiving love gracefully is part of the festival.
- Simha Leo
Your gift: natural authority and presence. Say the warm words out loud today; your partner and family will treasure your openness.
- Kanya Virgo
Your gift: analytical precision. Show love in a practical way: cook, plan or help, the way you do best.
- Tula Libra
Your gift: diplomacy and tact. Plan a long, unhurried conversation with someone you love; listening is your gift today.
- Vrishchika Scorpio
Your gift: depth and focus. Let yourself be cared for too; receiving love gracefully is part of the festival.
- Dhanu Sagittarius
Your gift: optimism and faith. Say the warm words out loud today; your partner and family will treasure your openness.
- Makara Capricorn
Your gift: discipline and patience. Show love in a practical way: cook, plan or help, the way you do best.
- Kumbha Aquarius
Your gift: original, independent thinking. Plan a long, unhurried conversation with someone you love; listening is your gift today.
- Meena Pisces
Your gift: compassion and kindness. Let yourself be cared for too; receiving love gracefully is part of the festival.
Questions about Karwa Chauth
When is Karwa Chauth?
The next Karwa Chauth is on Thursday, 29 October 2026: Kartika Krishna Chaturthi (purnimanta), kept until moonrise. For New Delhi, fasting time: 6:30 am – 8:12 pm. Times change by city; choose yours above.
Why is the Moon seen through a sieve?
The sieve softens the view of the Moon and, by custom, shares its blessing with the spouse seen next through the same sieve. It is a symbol of seeing each other in that gentle light, not a rule with a penalty.
What if the Moon is hidden by clouds?
Families usually wait a little past the moonrise time, then offer arghya in the Moon’s direction or to an image of the Moon. The fast is complete at the moonrise time; the clouds do not undo it.
Can husbands or unmarried women keep the fast?
Yes. Many husbands now fast with their wives, and unmarried women keep it for a future partner, often with a lighter fast that allows water. Intention matters more than strictness.
Why does the moonrise time differ between websites?
Some almanacs add a few minutes for the Moon to clear the horizon and trees. We show the astronomical moonrise for a level horizon, so the Moon may appear a few minutes later above buildings.
How are these dates worked out?
Every festival is fixed by a rule: the lunar month, the paksha, the tithi, and the part of the day (such as pradosh, madhyahna or nishita) in which that tithi must fall. Our engine finds the next time that happens from the sidereal (Lahiri) Sun and Moon and computes the muhurat from your city’s sunrise and sunset. Dates are checked against Drik Panchang. Where traditions differ, such as Smarta and Vaishnava reckoning, we say so above; your family custom or local priest always comes first.
Pair the festival with your own chart
Love & Marriage Timing Report: Your 7th house, Venus, Navamsa and the periods traditionally associated with commitment.
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