Karwa Chauth 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat, Moonrise Time & Vrat Vidhi
26 Sept 2026 • 1 min read
Vivek Shukla
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Karwa Chauth 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat & Moonrise Time
Complete guide to Karwa Chauth 2026 with exact puja muhurat, sargi timing, city-wise moonrise for Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad & Ahmedabad, vrat vidhi, katha and samagri checklist.
🪔 Karwa Chauth 2026 — Quick Summary
- Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026 (Kartika Krishna Chaturthi)
- Chaturthi Tithi: Begins 1:07 AM on Oct 29, ends 10:10 PM on Oct 29
- Puja Muhurat: 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM (pradosh kaal, ~1 hr 18 min)
- Sargi Time: Before sunrise, ideally 4:30 AM to 6:00 AM
- Moonrise (varies by city): Delhi NCR ~8:17 PM, Mumbai ~9:00 PM, Pune ~8:58 PM, Bangalore ~8:55 PM, Hyderabad ~8:41 PM, Ahmedabad ~8:52 PM
- Fast Nature: Nirjala vrat (without water) observed by married women from sunrise until moonrise
- Deities Worshipped: Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha, Kartikeya and Chandra Dev (Moon God)
What Is Karwa Chauth?
Karwa Chauth 2026 is one of the most cherished festivals for married Hindu women across North and Central India, observed on Kartika Krishna Chaturthi — the fourth day after the full moon in the month of Kartik. Knowing the exact Karwa Chauth date is essential every year since it shifts with the lunar calendar, and in 2026 it falls on Thursday, October 29. On this day, married women observe a strict Nirjala (waterless) vrat from sunrise to moonrise, praying for the long life, health and prosperity of their husbands.
The word "Karwa" refers to the small earthen pot used in the puja, and "Chauth" means the fourth day of the lunar fortnight. The festival blends devotion, fasting discipline and the joyful rituals of Solah Shringar (sixteen adornments), sargi, the Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha, and the emotional moment of sighting the moon through a sieve (chalni) before breaking the fast in the presence of the husband.
While Karwa Chauth is traditionally most prominent in Delhi NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, it is now widely observed by Hindu families across Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and even abroad, wherever North Indian and Punjabi communities have settled.
Karwa Chauth 2026 Date & Muhurat
| Event | Timing |
|---|---|
| Karwa Chauth Vrat Date | Thursday, October 29, 2026 |
| Chaturthi Tithi Begins | 1:07 AM, October 29, 2026 |
| Chaturthi Tithi Ends | 10:10 PM, October 29, 2026 |
| Sunrise (Delhi NCR) | Approx. 6:30 AM |
| Sargi Time | 4:30 AM to 6:00 AM (before sunrise) |
| Puja Muhurat (Pradosh Kaal) | 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM |
| Moonrise Time | Varies by city — see city-wise table below |
Note: A small number of sources list Karwa Chauth 2026 on October 28. The majority of Panchang-based calculations, including Drik Panchang, place the vrat on October 29, 2026, since the Chaturthi Tithi is prominent through the evening and moonrise window of that day. We recommend confirming with your family's local Panchang if you follow a specific regional tradition.
City-Wise Moonrise Time 2026
Moonrise timing shifts by longitude, so the exact moment you can break your fast depends on your city. Here are estimated moonrise times for Puja Purohit's service cities.
Moonrise timings are estimates and may vary by 5–15 minutes based on your exact location. Always confirm with a local Panchang or your pandit on the day.
Want a pandit to guide your Karwa Chauth puja and Vrat Katha step-by-step, even if no elder is available at home?
Book a PanditSargi: The Pre-Dawn Ritual Meal
Sargi is a special meal traditionally prepared by the mother-in-law and given to her daughter-in-law before sunrise on Karwa Chauth. It is eaten between roughly 4:30 AM and 6:00 AM, before the Nirjala fast begins, so the body has enough nourishment for the long waterless day ahead.
A typical Sargi thali includes fruits, dry fruits, sweets like feni or vermicelli (sevaiyan), coconut, and sometimes mathri or namak paare. Where the mother-in-law is not present — for daughters-in-law living abroad or in another city — many women now receive a Sargi thali by courier, or perform the ritual with their mother's blessings over a video call, continuing the emotional core of the tradition even at a distance.
Karwa Chauth Vrat Vidhi (Step-by-Step)
Sargi Before Sunrise
Wake up before sunrise, eat the Sargi thali given by the mother-in-law or a senior family member, and take a resolve (sankalp) to observe the Nirjala vrat for the wellbeing of your husband.
Nirjala Fast Through the Day
Observe the fast without food or water from sunrise until the moon rises in the evening. Many women spend the day in prayer, mehendi application, and meeting other fasting women.
Solah Shringar
In the evening, dress in bridal-style attire and complete the Solah Shringar — the sixteen traditional adornments including sindoor, bindi, mehendi, bangles, mangalsutra, and a red or festive saree/lehenga.
Main Puja During Muhurat
Between 5:38 PM and 6:56 PM, gather with other women to worship Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya. Arrange the Karwa (earthen pot filled with water), puja thali, and idols or pictures of the deities.
Listen to the Vrat Katha
Sit in a circle and listen to or narrate the Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha, then perform the thali-passing ritual, circulating the puja thali among all the women present.
Sighting the Moon
After moonrise (timing varies by city — see table above), view the moon through a sieve (chalni), then look at your husband's face through the same sieve, and offer water (arghya) to the moon.
Husband Breaks the Fast
The husband offers the first sip of water and a morsel of food to his wife, formally breaking the Nirjala fast. Couples often exchange gifts, and the baya (a plate of sweets and gifts) is exchanged between the woman and her mother-in-law or sister-in-law.
Karwa Chauth Puja Samagri List
Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha
The most widely narrated Karwa Chauth Katha is the story of Veeravati, a devoted young wife who observed her first Karwa Chauth fast at her parents' home. Unable to bear her hunger and thirst, her seven brothers created a false moonrise reflection using a mirror to trick her into breaking the fast early.
As soon as Veeravati broke her fast, news arrived that her husband had fallen gravely ill. Realizing the fast had been broken prematurely, she prayed fervently to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva for forgiveness. Moved by her devotion, the Goddess granted her husband's life back, and Veeravati resumed and completed the fast with full faith the following year.
This story is retold every Karwa Chauth to remind women of the power of unwavering devotion and the importance of completing the vrat with sincerity, waiting for the true moonrise rather than rushing the ritual.
Frequently Asked Questions
Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Thursday, October 29, 2026. The Kartika Krishna Chaturthi Tithi begins at 1:07 AM on October 29 and ends at 10:10 PM the same day.
The auspicious puja muhurat is from 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM on October 29, 2026, lasting about 1 hour 18 minutes during pradosh kaal. This is the ideal window to complete the main puja and Vrat Katha.
Moonrise varies by city: Delhi NCR approx. 8:17 PM, Mumbai approx. 9:00 PM, Pune approx. 8:58 PM, Bangalore approx. 8:55 PM, Hyderabad approx. 8:41 PM, Ahmedabad approx. 8:52 PM. These are estimates — check a local panchang for exact timing.
Sargi is the pre-dawn meal given by the mother-in-law before sunrise. It should be eaten between 4:30 AM and 6:00 AM on October 29, 2026, before the Nirjala fast begins at sunrise.
Traditionally Karwa Chauth is observed by married women for their husbands, but in many families, engaged women also keep the fast for their would-be husbands as a mark of devotion and to seek a happy married life.
If clouds obscure the moon, women can wait until the scheduled moonrise time has passed and then perform the arghya ritual facing the direction of moonrise, or use a mobile app or panchang-confirmed time to complete the ritual and break the fast.
Yes. Through Puja Purohit's online pandit service, you can book a verified pandit who guides you through the complete Karwa Chauth puja vidhi and Vrat Katha over a secure video call, so you can perform the ritual correctly at home even if you are living abroad or without an elder to guide you.
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