Karwa Chauth (करवा चौथ) is a vrat, a fasting observance falling in the Hindu lunar month of कार्तिक. Its position is fixed by tithi rather than by the Gregorian calendar, so the date moves every year and is computed from the panchang. Tradition keeps a fast on the day.
Karwa Chauth
करवा चौथ
Hindu month: कार्तिक
Panchang Basis (Tithi Rule)
Each year this observance falls on the Chaturthi tithi of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Kartika. Because lunar tithis drift against the Gregorian calendar, the English date shifts every year — the tithi rule above is what stays fixed.
Months here are named the Purnimanta way, as in North Indian panchangs, where a month ends on Purnima. Amanta calendars (Maharashtra, Gujarat and most of South India) end a month on Amavasya, so they call this same fortnight Ashvina Krishna Paksha; the date is the same.
About This Festival
Married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for their husband's long life
पति की दीर्घायु के लिए सुहागिनों का सूर्योदय से चंद्रोदय तक व्रत
Significance
One of the most important vrats for married Hindu women across North and West India — kept on Kartika Krishna Chaturthi, about four days after the Sharad Purnima and about eleven days before Diwali in the same waning fortnight. The nirjala fast expresses devotion and is believed to protect the husband from harm and grant him longevity; unmarried women in some families keep a gentler version for a good match. In Jyotish terms the vrat honours Chandra (the Moon) — the karaka of mind and emotional bonds — together with Gauri and Ganesh, which is why the fast opens only after the moon is actually sighted, never at a clock time. Regional practice varies: in Punjab the sargi and baya exchange is central, while in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh the katha circle and the decorated karwa itself carry the ritual weight.
Puja Vidhi (How to Observe)
Wake before sunrise and eat sargi — the pre-dawn meal traditionally sent by the mother-in-law, with fruits, feni or seviyan, dry fruits, and mathri, finished before the morning star fades. Fast all day nirjala, without food or water. In the afternoon or evening, women gather for the Karwa Chauth katha, seated in a circle with decorated puja thalis and an earthen or metal karwa (the spouted water vessel that gives the vrat its name), passing the thalis while the story of Veervati is narrated. Many also receive baya — the gift basket from the mother-in-law. After moonrise, view the moon through a chhalni (sieve) with a lit diya on the thali, then look at your husband's face through the same sieve, offer arghya of water to Chandra, and break the fast with water and the first bite from his hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Karwa Chauth celebrated?
Karwa Chauth is celebrated on Thursday, 29 October 2026 and on Monday, 18 October 2027. The date changes each year because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar (Panchang) — every date here is computed from real planetary positions using the Swiss Ephemeris engine, not copied from a fixed list.
Is Karwa Chauth a fasting (vrat) day?
Yes — Karwa Chauth is observed as a vrat (fasting day). Devotees keep a fast and complete the puja before breaking it, following the puja vidhi for the day.
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