Karwa Chauth 2026 (29 Oct): Moonrise Time, Sargi and Puja Vidhi

Key points at a glance

• Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Thursday, 29 October 2026, the Krishna Chaturthi of Kartik month in the North Indian calendar.
• Chaturthi tithi runs from 1:06 AM to 10:09 PM on 29 October 2026 (New Delhi panchang), so it is current at moonrise that evening.
• The evening puja muhurat in New Delhi is 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM.
• Moonrise in New Delhi is expected around 8:12 to 8:17 PM; Kolkata sees the moon about half an hour earlier and Mumbai about 40 minutes later.
• The fast runs from sunrise (about 6:31 AM in Delhi) to moonrise, so sargi should be finished before sunrise.

"Is Karwa Chauth on the 28th or the 29th?" Families are asking it on WhatsApp groups right now, because some calendars and websites print 28 October 2026. The New Delhi panchang puts it on Thursday, 29 October. Chaturthi tithi starts only at 1:06 AM that night, and the vrat is kept on the day Chaturthi is current at moonrise. On the evening of the 28th, it isn't. This guide gives you the verified timings, moonrise for 15 cities, what to eat at sargi, and the full puja vidhi our astrologers recommend. Check today's panchang for your city on the morning of the fast to confirm local sunrise and moonrise.

Planning your first Karwa Chauth or worried about the timing? Talk to a HealAstro astrologer

What is Karwa Chauth 2026?

Karwa Chauth 2026 is the one-day fast that married Hindu women keep on Thursday, 29 October 2026, praying for their husband's long life and wellbeing. The fast usually runs without food or water from sunrise to moonrise. Women worship Gauri (Chauth Mata), Lord Shiva and Ganesha in the evening, and break the fast after offering arghya to the moon.

The day is also called Karak Chaturthi. Karwa or karak is the earthen pot used to offer water to the moon. Karwa Chauth also coincides with Sankashti Chaturthi, the monthly fast for Lord Ganesha; in Maharashtra this day is observed as Vakratunda Sankashti Chaturthi.

Karwa Chauth 2026 date and timings

Here are the timings for New Delhi. Puja muhurat and tithi times are the same across North India within a few minutes; moonrise changes by city (see the next section).

Why some calendars say 28 October

Karwa Chauth is kept on Kartik Krishna Chaturthi, and the deciding moment is moonrise. On 28 October 2026, the moon rises during Tritiya. Chaturthi begins after midnight and is current through the evening of 29 October, including moonrise. Two independent panchang calculations for New Delhi agree on the 29th. Some printed calendars and websites that show 28 October appear to have used a different starting time for the tithi.

Many sites simply copy a date from another site. We disagree with that approach for a fast this strict. If your family pandit follows a different local tradition, follow your pandit, but check the tithi yourself rather than relying on a forwarded message.

Moonrise time on Karwa Chauth 2026, city by city

Moonrise is the moment the fast ends, and it varies by more than an hour across India. These are calculated moonrise times for 29 October 2026.

One honest limitation: different panchangs calculate moonrise a few minutes apart. For New Delhi, one source gives 8:12 PM and another 8:17 PM; for Kolkata, 7:42 PM and 7:47 PM. Buildings, haze and cloud can delay the actual sighting further. Start watching at the listed time and break the fast once you can see the moon.

Sargi: what to eat and when

Sargi is the pre-dawn meal, traditionally given by the mother-in-law, that a woman eats before sunrise on Karwa Chauth. It should be finished before sunrise, which is about 6:31 AM in Delhi on 29 October 2026; most families eat between 4:00 and 5:30 AM.

A good sargi keeps you hydrated and gives slow, steady energy for a long day:

• Fluids first: water, coconut water or milk. Many women drink more than usual at sargi.
• Fruit: banana, apple, pomegranate or papaya.
• Dry fruits and nuts: almonds, walnuts, dates and a few raisins.
• Traditional items: pheni or seviyan cooked in milk, mathri, and sweets sent by the mother-in-law.
• Something filling: a paratha, poha or curd, depending on family custom.

Avoid very salty, fried or spicy food at sargi. It makes thirst harder later in the day. Too much tea or coffee can do the same.

Health first. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, on regular medication or unwell, speak to your doctor before keeping a nirjala (waterless) fast. Many families accept a phalahari fast with fruit and water, and that is a perfectly sincere way to keep the vrat. Astrology does not replace medical advice.

Karwa Chauth puja vidhi, step by step

The puja follows the same order in most North Indian homes, with small regional differences. This is the sequence our astrologers suggest.

1. Sargi before sunrise. Eat and drink before dawn, then bathe and wear fresh clothes.
2. Take the sankalp. After sunrise, sit facing east or north and take the resolve to keep the fast until moonrise, for your husband's long life and your family's wellbeing.
3. Prepare the karwa and thali. Fill an earthen or metal karwa with water. Arrange the thali with a diya, roli, rice, sweets, a sieve (chalni) and the Karwa Chauth picture or calendar showing Gauri Mata.
4. Dress for the puja. Women traditionally wear solah shringar (the sixteen adornments): red or bright clothes, sindoor, bangles and mehendi.
5. Evening puja during the muhurat. Between 5:38 and 6:56 PM in New Delhi, worship Gauri Mata (Chauth Mata) with Lord Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Begin with Ganesha.
6. Listen to the vrat katha. The story of Veeravati and her seven brothers is the most common Karwa Chauth katha, read by an elder or recited in a group.
7. Pass the thalis. In many homes, women sit in a circle and pass their thalis around seven times while singing the traditional Karwa Chauth songs.
8. Offer arghya to the moon. At moonrise, offer water from the karwa to the moon, light the diya and pray.
9. See the moon, then your husband, through the sieve. This is the moment most families photograph.
10. Break the fast. The husband gives his wife the first sip of water and the first bite of food.
11. Karwa daan. The karwa and a gift of sweets, clothes or money (the baya) are given to the mother-in-law or an elder married woman.

Karwa Chauth puja samagri checklist

Keep these ready by afternoon so the evening is calm: karwa with lid, diya and ghee or oil, roli, kumkum, rice, sindoor, sweets, a sieve, water lota, flowers, the Karwa Chauth picture or calendar, a small Ganesha idol, and the baya gift for your mother-in-law.

Pray for a strong marriage with a Love and Relationship puja done in your name

The astrology behind Karwa Chauth

Karwa Chauth joins two ideas from Vedic astrology: the Moon and the marriage house. In a kundli, the Moon (Chandra) represents the mind, emotions and the bond of care in a family. The 7th house and Venus describe marriage and the spouse, and Jupiter is the traditional significator of the husband in a woman's chart.

The fast is timed by the Moon itself. Chaturthi is the fourth tithi, counted by the Moon's distance from the Sun, and the vrat ends only when the Moon is seen. Because the day is also Sankashti Chaturthi, Ganesha, remover of obstacles, is worshipped first.

Some families also want to know whether the couple's charts support the marriage, especially in the first year. Our guide on what kundali matching checks before marriage explains how the 7th house, Venus and the Navamsa are read.

Myths vs facts about Karwa Chauth

Karwa Chauth carries a lot of family advice. Some of it helps, and some of it causes needless worry.

Simple practices for a calm, meaningful vrat

These are traditional practices and acts of faith. They help many couples feel close and calm, but they cannot promise any particular outcome.

• Chant a Chandra mantra at moonrise. "Om Somaya Namah" or "Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Sah Chandramase Namah" is commonly recited while offering arghya.
• Begin with Ganesha. A short prayer to Ganesha before the evening puja is customary, since the day is also Sankashti Chaturthi.
• Keep the evening unhurried. Finish the thali and samagri by afternoon and rest if you can.
• Share the fast. Many husbands now keep a partial fast too. It is your choice as a couple.
• For harmony in marriage, couples often book a Gauri Shankar puja for married life around Karwa Chauth.

An illustrative example: first Karwa Chauth, two cities

This is an illustrative example, not a real client.

Consider a 26-year-old in Lucknow keeping her first Karwa Chauth. Her husband is posted in Pune and will join by video call. Her mother-in-law's calendar says 28 October; a friend's says the 29th.

An astrologer would first settle the date: Chaturthi begins at 1:06 AM on 29 October and is current at moonrise, so 29 October is the day. Next, the timing. The moon rises in Lucknow at about 8:01 PM and in Pune at about 8:53 PM. She can break her fast at Lucknow's moonrise; her husband, if he is fasting with her, would wait for Pune's.

She also takes thyroid medication. Here the advice would be simple: ask her doctor whether a nirjala fast is safe, and if not, keep a phalahari fast with water. The devotion is the same.

Celebrating Karwa Chauth in your city or online

Women in Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Mumbai and Kolkata keep Karwa Chauth with very different moonrise times, and many husbands and wives now spend the evening in different cities. You do not need a local pandit to get your timing right. An online consultation uses your city's sunrise and moonrise, and our astrologers can answer questions about the vrat, the date or your chart on a call.

If you are newly married and planning other ceremonies this season, our list of shubh vivah muhurat dates for 2026–27 and the full muhurat calendar cover the wedding season after Dev Uthani Ekadashi. You can also follow upcoming fasts on our vrat and upvaas calendar, or chat with an astrologer about your vrat if you prefer typing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Karwa Chauth 2026 on 28 or 29 October?

Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October 2026, according to the New Delhi panchang. Chaturthi tithi begins at 1:06 AM on 29 October and lasts until 10:09 PM, so it is current at moonrise. On the evening of 28 October, Tritiya is still running, which is why the 29th is the correct day.

What time is moonrise on Karwa Chauth 2026 in Delhi?

Moonrise in New Delhi on 29 October 2026 is expected at about 8:12 to 8:17 PM, depending on the panchang used. Kolkata sees the moon earliest, around 7:42 PM, and Mumbai among the latest, around 8:56 PM. Start watching at the listed time; buildings or haze can delay the sighting by a few minutes.

What is the Karwa Chauth puja muhurat in 2026?

The evening puja muhurat on 29 October 2026 is 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM in New Delhi, a window of about 1 hour 17 minutes. Women worship Gauri Mata, Lord Shiva and Ganesha, listen to the vrat katha during this window, and offer arghya to the moon later at moonrise.

When should sargi be eaten?

Sargi should be eaten before sunrise, which is about 6:31 AM in New Delhi on 29 October 2026. Most families eat between 4:00 and 5:30 AM. Include water, fruit, dry fruits and something filling, and avoid very salty or fried food, which makes thirst harder later in the day.

Can I drink water during the Karwa Chauth fast?

The traditional fast is nirjala, without water, from sunrise to moonrise. However, many families accept a phalahari fast with water and fruit, especially for women who are pregnant, unwell or on medication. Speak to your doctor first if you have any health condition. A modified fast is still a sincere vrat.

What do you need for Karwa Chauth puja?

You need a karwa (earthen or metal pot) with water, a diya, roli, rice, sindoor, sweets, a sieve, flowers, the Karwa Chauth picture or calendar, a small Ganesha idol and a baya gift for your mother-in-law. Arrange everything on a thali by afternoon so the evening puja is calm.

Can unmarried women keep the Karwa Chauth fast?

Yes, many unmarried women keep the Karwa Chauth fast for a fiancé or future partner. Customs differ by family: some unmarried women break the fast by seeing the stars rather than the moon. Follow your family's tradition, and choose a modified fast if a full nirjala fast is not suitable for your health.

Keep Karwa Chauth 2026 on the right day and time

Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October. Finish sargi before about 6:31 AM, do the puja between 5:38 and 6:56 PM in New Delhi, and watch for the moon from your city's listed moonrise time. Keep health ahead of strictness, and let the evening be about devotion, not anxiety over the clock.

If you have a question about the vrat, your marriage or your chart, our astrologers are available on call.

Talk to a HealAstro astrologer about your Karwa Chauth vrat

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Disclaimer: Astrology offers guidance based on traditional Vedic principles. It is not a substitute for medical, legal, financial or psychological advice, and no astrologer can guarantee an outcome.