Karva Chauth 2026 on 29 October: Moonrise at 8:17 PM, Puja Muhurat 5:38 to 6:56 PM

Astha Sangrah Editorial Team

Published 22 October 20263 min read

3 min read

A woman in a red sari on a rooftop at night viewing the moon through a sieve, her husband before her, with a karva and lamp

The Karva Chauth fast is on Thursday, 29 October 2026. The moon rises at 8:17 PM, and the Karva Chauth puja muhurat is 5:38 to 6:56 PM (New Delhi).

Fast: 6:31 AM to 8:17 PM
Puja muhurat: 5:38 to 6:56 PM
Moonrise: 8:17 PM
Chaturthi tithi: 1:06 AM to 10:09 PM, 29 October

Moonrise in your city

The time above is for New Delhi. Moonrise differs by city: the moon appears earlier in eastern cities and later in western ones, sometimes by more than half an hour. If it's cloudy, the tradition is to offer arghya towards the moon's direction at the panchang time.

Sargi and baya

The sargi is given by the mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law, and usually holds fruit, dry fruit, sweets, mathri or pheni, and sometimes shringar items. It is eaten before sunrise on 29 October, that is before 6:31 AM, so that the day's nirjala fast can be kept. If the mother-in-law is not there, an elder woman of the house, or the woman fasting herself, prepares it.

After the evening puja, the daughter-in-law gives her mother-in-law the baya: a plate of sweets, dry fruit, clothes or shringar items, and touches her feet for her blessing. At the puja, the women fasting sit in a circle and pass their thalis to one another, a rite called thali pherna, while they listen to the katha.

The day, step by step

Eat the sargi given by your mother-in-law before sunrise (6:31 AM).
Keep a nirjala fast, without food or water, through the day.
Between 5:38 and 6:56 PM, worship Karva Mata, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesh and Kartikeya, and listen to the Karva Chauth katha.
When the moon rises, offer arghya from the karva while saying "Om Chandraya Namah", then look at the moon and your husband through a sieve.
In many families the fast is broken with a sip of water from the husband's hand.

The moneylender's daughter

In the Karva Chauth katha, a moneylender's daughter keeps the fast with her family and says she will eat only after offering arghya to the risen moon. Her seven brothers light a fire in a distant field and show her its glow through a sieve, saying the moon is up. Though her sisters-in-law warn her, she offers arghya and eats, which angers Ganesh, and her husband falls gravely ill. Realising her mistake, she asks Ganesh for forgiveness and keeps the vrat again with devotion, and her troubles end. That is why the fast is kept fully until moonrise.

Your questions

Can unmarried girls keep this fast?

Yes. Many unmarried young women keep it hoping for a good life partner. In some families they break the fast by sighting the stars instead of the moon; follow your family's custom.

What if I'm pregnant or unwell?

Many families allow the fast to be kept with water or fruit in that case. Put your health first and talk to your doctor.

What if the puja muhurat is missed?

The 5:38 to 6:56 PM muhurat is considered the most auspicious, but Chaturthi tithi lasts until 10:09 PM. If the muhurat passes, finish the puja and katha before moonrise.

Dates and times checked against Drik Panchang and our own panchang, for New Delhi.