Karwa Chauth: sargi, the day's vrat, the evening katha and the moon

The full day from the pre-dawn sargi to the moonrise, the thali and karwa to keep ready, the katha, and how to break the fast.

Karva Chauth, 29 Oct, Thursday · in 14 days8 min readReviewed 24 September 2026

Karwa Chauth falls on Thursday 29 October 2026, the fourth day after the full moon of Kartik. Married women in the north and west keep a fast from before sunrise until the moon is seen, for the long life of their husbands. Many unmarried women keep it too, and a growing number of husbands fast alongside their wives.

The day has a fixed rhythm: sargi in the dark before dawn, a fast without food or water, the evening katha with other women, and the moon, seen through a sieve, that ends it. This guide gives that rhythm, what to keep ready, and where the custom varies.

When

Sargi is eaten before the first light, traditionally before 5 am. Set an alarm for 4 am; the fast begins at sunrise.
The evening puja and katha are done in the hour before sunset, about 5.30 to 6.30 pm in most north Indian cities. Women gather in one home for it.
Moonrise on 29 October 2026 is around 8 pm in Delhi and Mumbai, a little earlier in the east and later in the west. The daily panchang message confirms the local time.

What to keep ready

Karwa · 1 or 2An earthen or brass pot with a spout, filled with water; the second is for the exchangeKarwa and Chhalni Set →
Chhalni (sieve) · 1Through which the moon and then the husband are seenKarwa and Chhalni Set →
Puja thaliWith a diya, kumkum, rice, a sweet, a glass of waterBrass Aarti Thali Set →
Diya and gheeBrass Diya →
Kumkum, haldi, chandan, akshatAshtagandha Tilak Set →
SindoorFor the tilak after the moon
MehndiApplied the evening before
Karwa Chauth katha book, or the katha on a phoneThe story of Veeravati is read aloudVrat Katha Sangrah →
A picture or small murti of Gauri (Parvati) and GaneshaSome families make a Gaur Mata from cow dung or clay
Fruits, dry fruits, mathri, pheni or seviyanFor the sargi and for the baya
BayaA gift plate for the mother-in-law: sweets, a sari or suit, dry fruit, a little money
Red or bridal clothes and sixteen shringarBangles, bindi, mangalsutra, anklets: the solah shringar is part of the observance

The day before

Mehndi is applied to the hands and feet in the evening. The sargi is received from the mother-in-law: a plate with fruit, dry fruit, mathri, a sweet, and a gift, which is the meal eaten before dawn. Where the mother-in-law is not present, a married elder or the woman herself prepares it.

Before dawn: sargi

1
Eat before first light
Fruit, a milk sweet, dry fruits, a paratha or pheni in milk, and plenty of water. Avoid anything very salty or spicy; it makes the day harder.
2
Sankalp at sunrise
Bathe, then take a little water in the right palm and state the resolve: that you keep the Karwa Chauth vrat today for the long life and welfare of your husband, and will break it after seeing the moon. Release the water.

The day

The traditional vrat is nirjala: no food and no water until the moon. Many women now take water or fruit during the day, particularly if working, pregnant, or unwell, and the observance is no less sincere. Decide in the morning and hold to it.

The day is spent dressing, visiting, and preparing the evening. Sleeping through the afternoon is a practical and honoured custom.

Evening: the puja and the katha

3
Set up
A chowki with Gauri and Ganesha, the filled karwa beside them, the diya lit. Women sit in a circle with their thalis.
4
The katha
An elder reads the Karwa Chauth katha, the story of Veeravati whose brothers tricked her with a false moon. The point of the story is that the fast is broken only on the real moon.
5
Pheri
The thalis are passed around the circle seven times while the Karwa Chauth song is sung. Each woman receives her own thali back at the end.
6
Exchange the karwa
Karwas are exchanged with another woman, or with the mother-in-law, with a blessing.
7
Baya
The gift plate is given to the mother-in-law or an elder, with a touch of the feet.

Moonrise

8
See the moon
When the moon is up, go to the terrace or a window with the thali and the chhalni. Look at the moon through the sieve, then offer it water (arghya) from the karwa, a little at a time.
9
See the husband
Look at the husband's face through the same sieve. He offers water from the thali, then the first sweet.
10
Break the fast
The first sip of water is from his hand. Then a proper meal together, ideally sattvic and not too heavy after the day.
11
Sindoor
He applies sindoor; she touches the feet of the elders present.

What usually goes wrong

Skipping sargi or eating it too lightly, then struggling by afternoon. A proper pre-dawn meal is the tradition, not a cheat.
Breaking the fast on a moon seen on someone's phone. The moon in the sky, or in the sieve, is the moon. If clouds hide it entirely, the fast is broken at the panchang moonrise time after offering arghya towards the east.
Sixteen shringar treated as vanity. It is part of the observance and its rituals; the day is meant to be beautiful.
Fasting through pregnancy or illness without adjusting. Take water or fruit and keep the vrat with the same intent.

Quick answers

What time does the moon rise on Karwa Chauth 2026?

Around 8 pm in Delhi and Mumbai on 29 October 2026, earlier in Kolkata and later in Ahmedabad. Times differ by city and by a few minutes on the local horizon, so use the panchang time for your city, which our daily WhatsApp message gives.

Can water be taken during the Karwa Chauth fast?

The strict vrat is nirjala, without water. Many families now permit water, tea or fruit during the day, and the fast is considered kept. What matters is the resolve made at sunrise and the moon-sighting that ends it.

Can an unmarried woman keep Karwa Chauth?

Yes, and many do, for a future husband or for a fiancé. The puja is the same; the moon is seen through the sieve and the fast broken with water from an elder.

What if the moon cannot be seen because of clouds?

Wait until the panchang moonrise time has passed. Offer arghya towards the moon's direction (the east, at moonrise) with the prayer, then break the fast. The fast is not extended for weather.

What is sargi and who gives it?

Sargi is the pre-dawn meal of fruit, dry fruit, sweets and something filling, traditionally sent by the mother-in-law with a gift. It is eaten before sunrise and sustains the day. In her absence any elder, or the woman herself, prepares it.

Can husbands keep the fast too?

Yes. It has become common, and there is nothing in the observance against it. He follows the same rules and breaks the fast with her at moonrise.

Written by the Shiwalay desk from the Puranic sources and living household practice. Customs differ by region and family; where yours differs, follow yours. Nothing here promises an outcome.