Happy Karwachauth 2026: Simple, easy, and trendy mehendi designs to apply on your hands on the festival

The festive season has arrived, and there is already a hint of winter in the air. Residential streets have homes lined with fairy lights, and a hint of music drifting through the streets, and markets are bright with colourful trinkets, flowers, and bandhanwars.It is finally that time of the year when we waited with bated breath almost a year round for these back-to-back festivals, and next is Karwachauth, when married women fast for the longer lifespan of their husband.One important part of the festival is applying mehendi on palms and feet days before, when living rooms turn into little salons. Sisters, cousins and neighbours sit together with mehndi cones in hand, chatting, laughing and trying to keep their palms perfectly still.Women wear mehndi to mark auspicious occasions, applying it to their palms before the festival while also wearing new clothes. There is also a popular belief that the deeper the colour, the stronger the husband’s love, and many women wait anxiously to see how dark theirs turns out.When is Karwachauth 2026Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Thursday, 29 October. According to Drik Panchang, the Chaturthi tithi begins at 1:06 AM on 29 October and ends at 10:09 PM the same night, so the fast is kept on 29 October across India.Puja muhurat, fasting hours and moonrise for Karwachauth 2026According to Drik Panchang:Fast begins: 6:31 AM, at sunrisePuja muhurat: 5:38 PM to 6:56 PMMoonrise: around 8:17 PMWho is worshipped on Karwa Chauth?Karva Mata, a form of Goddess Parvati associated with a happy married life, is worshipped along with Lord Shiva, Ganesha, and Kartikeya. Chaturthi is Lord Ganesha's tithi, so he is prayed to first. The final offering of arghya is made to the moon by concluding the festival and fast.The moon, or Chandra, is believed to rule the mind, emotions, and the bond of care between two people. Worshipping him on this day is meant to bring peace to married life and protect the husband's health and long life.How is the festival celebrated?Traditionally, women keep this fast for their husbands' long life. It is a nirjala fast, which means they do not consume food and water from sunrise until the moon appears. Today, with the changing times, many husbands fast along with their wives, and many couples see the day as a celebration of equality.Here are some easy and trendy meehndi designs to apply on Karwa chauth 2026Moon and sieve motifsThe moon and the sieve are at the most popular designs during Karwa Chauth. The design includes motifs representing the ritual of seeing the moon and the husband through a sieve. Try to make a small crescent or full moon in the centre of your palm, with a round sieve beside it along with teh design of a woman looking through towards the moon. Tiny dots or stars around them fill the space nicely. It tells the story of the evening without a word.Karwa and couple-themed designsSome women like designs that show the festival itself. An popular design includes a kalash-themed design, a husband helping his wife drink water after the fast, and a lady gazing at the moon with one hand behind her back. These scenes recreate the moment the fast ends. They suit the front of the hand, where there is room for small figures.Peacock, floral and mandala patternsIf you love classic mehndi, peacocks and flowers are always a pretty choice. It can include everything from flower motifs, mandala petals, swirls and geometric patterns among its ideas. Peacock and heart themes symbolise love, beauty and devotion try to apply with some innovative floral pattern and jaali style. Full-hand versions look rich and festive, and they go well with bangles and a bright dupatta for the evening puja.Husband’s name or initialsFor a personal touch, many women hide their husband’s name or initials in the design. Adding the husband’s name gives the celebration a personal and emotional touch, hidden initials are also a part of Karwa Chauth mehndi symbolising love and long last association. Some women smartly hide the letters into a peacock’s feathers or between flowers, which can turn into a sweet game of spotting them.Get the latest movie news, reviews, and celebrity updates. Download the TOI App.