Karwa Chauth 2026: Date, Moonrise Time in Your City, Vrat Vidhi and Katha
Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October. The fast runs from sunrise to moonrise, and the moon rises at 8:16 PM in Delhi. Across India it appears first in the east, at 7:46 PM in Kolkata, and last in the west, at 9:00 PM in Mumbai.
संक्षेप में: करवा चौथ 2026 गुरुवार, 29 अक्टूबर को है। व्रत सूर्योदय से चंद्रोदय तक रहता है; दिल्ली में सूर्योदय सुबह 6:31 पर और चंद्रोदय रात 8:16 पर है। चाँद सबसे पहले पूर्व में, कोलकाता में शाम 7:46 पर, और सबसे बाद में पश्चिम में, मुंबई में रात 9:00 पर दिखेगा। कार्तिक कृष्ण चतुर्थी 29 अक्टूबर को रात 1:08 से रात 10:11 तक है। लेख में कई शहरों के चंद्रोदय का समय, व्रत विधि और कथा दी गई है। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →
Karwa Chauth 2026: date and moonrise
- Date: Thursday, 29 October 2026
- Tithi: Kartik Krishna Chaturthi, 1:08 AM to 10:11 PM on 29 October
- Fast: from sunrise (6:31 AM in Delhi) to moonrise
- Moonrise in Delhi: 8:16 PM
Karwa Chauth 2026 moonrise time in your city
| City | Fast begins (sunrise) | Sunset | Moonrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 6:31 AM | 5:39 PM | 8:16 PM |
| Chandigarh | 6:35 AM | 5:38 PM | 8:12 PM |
| Amritsar | 6:44 AM | 5:44 PM | 8:17 PM |
| Dehradun | 6:30 AM | 5:33 PM | 8:08 PM |
| Jaipur | 6:35 AM | 5:46 PM | 8:27 PM |
| Lucknow | 6:14 AM | 5:26 PM | 8:06 PM |
| Kanpur | 6:16 AM | 5:29 PM | 8:09 PM |
| Varanasi | 6:04 AM | 5:19 PM | 8:02 PM |
| Patna | 5:56 AM | 5:10 PM | 7:52 PM |
| Kolkata | 5:39 AM | 5:01 PM | 7:46 PM |
| Bhopal | 6:24 AM | 5:44 PM | 8:30 PM |
| Indore | 6:29 AM | 5:51 PM | 8:38 PM |
| Ahmedabad | 6:43 AM | 6:04 PM | 8:51 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:37 AM | 6:07 PM | 9:00 PM |
| Pune | 6:33 AM | 6:03 PM | 8:57 PM |
| Hyderabad | 6:13 AM | 5:46 PM | 8:41 PM |
| Bengaluru | 6:12 AM | 5:54 PM | 8:55 PM |
| Chennai | 6:02 AM | 5:43 PM | 8:43 PM |
These are moonrise times as panchangs compute them: the moment the centre of the moon reaches a clear horizon. Over buildings, hills or haze you will see it a few minutes later, so keep looking east. For a town not listed, enter it on our Panchang.
Why Karwa Chauth is on Thursday 29 October
Karwa Chauth is kept on the Krishna Chaturthi of Kartik (North Indian, purnimanta reckoning) that is running when the moon rises. In 2026 that Chaturthi begins at 1:08 AM on the 29th and ends at 10:11 PM the same night, so it holds moonrise everywhere in India on the 29th. On the 28th, the moon rises during Tritiya, which is why no Indian calendar puts the fast on that day.
Sargi and the fast
The fast is traditionally nirjala: no food or water from sunrise until the moon is seen. Before dawn the mother-in-law gives the sargi: fruit, dry fruit, sweets such as pheni, and something to drink. It is eaten before sunrise, so in Delhi finish it before 6:31 AM. Women who are pregnant, unwell or on medication often keep a lighter fast with water or fruit; the intention is what the tradition values.
Karwa Chauth puja vidhi
The puja is done in the evening, after sunset and before moonrise, often in a group of women. A picture or clay image of Gauri, worshipped as Chauth Mata, is set up with Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Each woman keeps a karwa, a small earthen pot with a spout, filled with water, along with a thali of roli, rice, a diya, sweets and the sieve she will use later. The katha is heard, the thalis are passed around the circle seven times while the traditional song is sung, and prayers are offered for the husband’s long life. Many women also recite a Parvati mantra or the Parvati Chalisa.
The Karwa Chauth katha
The best-known katha is the story of Veeravati, the only sister of seven brothers. On her first Karwa Chauth, faint with hunger, she was shown a false moon: her brothers lit a fire behind a tree and held up a sieve, and she broke her fast. News came at once that her husband had fallen gravely ill. Through a year of devotion, and by keeping the next Karwa Chauth faithfully, she won his life back. The story is why the fast is broken only on seeing the real moon.
Breaking the fast at moonrise
When the moon is up, the woman offers arghya, water from the karwa, to the moon, then looks at the moon and then at her husband through the sieve. The husband gives her the first sip of water and the first bite of food, and the fast is complete. The arghya is offered while Chaturthi is still running; this year it runs until 10:11 PM, well after moonrise in every city above.
Customs that differ by region
In Punjab and Haryana the sargi and the evening circle of thalis are central. In Rajasthan the fast is often called Karva Chauth and the karwa is exchanged with a sister-in-law. In parts of Uttar Pradesh a picture of the moon and the Gauri family is drawn on the wall. None of these is more correct than another; follow your family’s way.
Karwa Chauth 2026: FAQs
When is Karwa Chauth in 2026?
On Thursday, 29 October 2026. The Kartik Krishna Chaturthi runs from 1:08 AM to 10:11 PM that day and holds moonrise across India.
What time will the moon rise on Karwa Chauth 2026 in Delhi?
At 8:16 PM. In other cities it ranges from 7:46 PM in Kolkata to 9:00 PM in Mumbai; see the table above.
What if clouds hide the moon?
Many families break the fast after the calculated moonrise time, offering arghya facing east where the moon has risen. Follow the custom your family keeps.
Can unmarried women keep the Karwa Chauth fast?
Yes. Many unmarried women keep it for a good husband, often a lighter version, breaking it on seeing the stars or the moon.
What is sargi and when is it eaten?
Sargi is the pre-dawn meal the mother-in-law gives: fruit, dry fruit, sweets and a drink. It is eaten before sunrise, which is 6:31 AM in Delhi on 29 October.
Karwa Chauth is a prayer for a long and happy marriage. If you would like a Happy Marriage Life Puja performed with your sankalp, or want to see what your chart says about marriage, try our free kundli matching or talk to an astrologer. Venus, the planet of marriage, is retrograde this month: see Shukra Vakri 2026.
