When is Karwa Chauth in 2026? Story, History, Significance, Importance, and all you need to know

The festival season is here, and the air already smells of winter's arrival. It is that time of the year when fairy lights deck up homes, music fills the streets, and colourful trinkets, flowers, and bandhanwars line the markets.Many festivals line this season every year, and the upcoming one is Karwachauth, when married women break their day-long water fast after the first glimpse of their husbands.Across North India, homes begin to hum with preparation days earlier. Markets fill with bangles, colourful dupattas and decorated clay pots. Hands are adorned with mehndi, and phone calls go back and forth between sisters, mothers and friends, all asking the same thing: what time will the moon come out this year?Let's read further to know more about the festival and when Karwa Chauth is in 2026.Date and pooja tithi of Karwa Chauth 2026Karwa Chauth falls on Thursday, 29 October 2026, this year according to Drikpanchang, the Chaturthi tithi starts at 1:06 AM on 29 October and ends at 10:09 PM that night, so the vrat is kept on 29 October across India.The reason behind this is that Chaturthi must be present when the moon rises, because the fast ends with Chandra puja.Karwachauth 2026 puja muhurat, fasting hours and moonriseAccording to Drik Panchang:Fast begins: 6:31 AM (sunrise)Puja muhurat: 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM (1 hour 17 minutes)Moonrise: around 8:17 PMWho is worshipped on Karwachauth?Karva Mata, a form of Goddess Parvati linked with marital bliss, is worshipped with Lord Shiva, along with Ganesha and Kartikeya. Chaturthi is Ganesha's tithi, so he is the first one to be prayed to, and then the final arghya is given to the moon.Chandra rules the mind, emotions, and the bond of care between two people. Moon worship on this day is meant to bring peace into married life and protect the husband's health and long life.Legend behind Karwachauth: The story of VeeravatiThere is an age-old mythological legend behind the celebration of Karwachauth surrounding Veeravati, who was the only sister of seven brothers, and they adored her. After her marriage, she came to her parents' home for her first Karwa Chauth. She fasted without food or water, and by evening hunger and thirst made her faint.Her brothers could not bear to see her suffer. They lit a fire behind a peepal tree and held a sieve in front of it, so the glow looked like the rising moon. Veervati believed them, offered arghya to the false moon and ate. Soon after, news came that her husband had died.Heartbroken, she sat beside his body for a year, praying without pause. Goddess Parvati told her the fast had been broken before the real moonrise. She advised Veervati to keep every Chaturthi vrat that year and to observe the next Karwa Chauth with complete faith. Veervati did, and her husband's life was restored. The story is that the fast is complete only when the real moon is seen.How is the festival celebrated?Traditionally, women keep the fast for the long life of their husbands. It is a nirjala fast, with no food or water from sunrise to moonrise. In the present day, husbands also join in, couples celebrate equality, and Over the years, rituals and festivals like this have helped strengthen social bonds among women, including with in-laws and friends.What rituals are followed during KarwachauthHere is the complete fasting guideBefore dawn: Wake up early and have the sargi your mother-in-law sends. It usually has dry fruits, pheni or kheer, fresh fruits, and mathri. Drink plenty of water at this time, since most women don't have any during the day.Through the day: Take it easy, avoid heavy work and long trips, and rest in the afternoon if you can. Many women put on mehendi a day earlier. On the evening of the vrat, they dress in red, maroon or other bridal colours. Solah shringar is traditional, but a simple, neat outfit is just as good.Getting the puja ready: Set up your thali with roli, rice, a diya, sweets, a karwa filled with water, and a chalni (sieve). Place a picture of Karva Mata on the wall or on a wooden plank, or draw one.At the puja time: Light the lamp and pray to Ganesha first. Then pray to Karva Mata, along with Shiva and Parvati, and listen to the katha. If you are sitting in a group, you can pass your thalis around seven times while singing traditional songs.When the moon rises, look at the moon through the chalni and offer water from the karwa. Then look at your husband through the same chalni. He gives you your first sip of water and a sweet, and that concludes the fast. Follow it with a light dinner, since a heavy meal on an empty stomach can upset you.FAQs (Frequently asked questions)1. When is Karwa Chauth in 2026?Thursday, 29 October 2026 in India.2. What are the puja muhurat and moonrise timings in Delhi?The puja muhurat is 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM, and moonrise is around 8:17 PM.3. Who is worshipped on Karwa Chauth?Karva Mata, Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and Kartikeya are worshipped, with the moon receiving the final arghya.4. Why do women look at the moon through a sieve?It is a traditional custom: women view the moon and then their husband through the sieve before the fast is broken.5. Can pregnant women or people with health conditions keep the fast?They should not keep a waterless fast, and may take fruits, milk or water after speaking to a doctor.Get the latest movie news, reviews, and celebrity updates. 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