Karwa Chauth 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat, and City-wise Moonrise Timings
July 14, 2026
Karwa Chauth is the strict day-long vrat observed by many married women for the long life and well-being of their husbands. In 2026, Karwa Chauth falls on Thursday, October 29. The question most families ask first is not only the date, but when the moon will rise in their city.
All primary muhurat figures below are for New Delhi, NCT. Moonrise is location-specific; use the city table in this guide, then confirm on Today's Panchang closer to the day if weather or local calculation differs.
Karwa Chauth 2026 Key Timings (New Delhi)
| Event | Date and time context |
|---|---|
| Karwa Chauth date | Thursday, October 29, 2026 |
| Puja muhurat | 05:38 PM to 06:56 PM |
| Upavasa window | About 06:31 AM to 08:17 PM |
| Moonrise (New Delhi) | 08:17 PM |
| Chaturthi Tithi begins | 01:06 AM on October 29, 2026 |
| Chaturthi Tithi ends | 10:09 PM on October 29, 2026 |
The fast is tied to sunrise-to-moonrise discipline on Chaturthi, not only to the civil date label. If you travel on the day, follow the moonrise of the city where you break the fast.
City-wise Moonrise Table
Moonrise is the practical climax of Karwa Chauth. Times below are taken from Drik Panchang city pages in each city’s local clock time. Indian cities observe on Thursday, October 29, 2026; note that the observance date itself differs for North America (see the diaspora table).
Major Indian cities (October 29, 2026)
| City | Moonrise (local) |
|---|---|
| New Delhi / Delhi NCR | 08:17 PM |
| Chandigarh | 08:12 PM |
| Lucknow | 08:06 PM |
| Jaipur | 08:28 PM |
| Kolkata | 07:47 PM |
| Ahmedabad | 08:52 PM |
| Mumbai | 09:00 PM |
| Pune | 08:58 PM |
| Hyderabad | 08:41 PM |
| Chennai | 08:44 PM |
| Bengaluru | 08:55 PM |
Diaspora cities (local observance date and time)
Critical: North America observes one day earlier. Drik Panchang lists Karwa Chauth for New York and Toronto on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 — not October 29 — because Chaturthi is current at local moonrise there on the 28th. London observes on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the same civil date as India.
| City | Observance date (local) | Moonrise (local) |
|---|---|---|
| New York City, USA | Wednesday, October 28, 2026 | 07:35 PM |
| Toronto, Canada | Wednesday, October 28, 2026 | 07:45 PM |
| London, UK | Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 06:31 PM |
Cloud cover can delay sighting even when astronomical moonrise has passed. Many families wait until the moon is actually visible before arghya and parana. If the moon stays hidden, follow your family elder or priest’s rule for that year rather than guessing.
Useful HinduLab tools:
- Festival Calendar
- Today's Panchang
- Monthly Panchang
- Sankashti Chaturthi guide
- Sankashti moonrise-times guide
- Vrat food guidelines
- Choghadiya Today
Why Karwa Chauth Is Observed
Karwa Chauth is observed on Krishna Paksha Chaturthi in the Kartika month under purnimanta reckoning popular in North India. Amanta calendars name the same stretch as Ashwin, but the civil day of the fast is shared.
The word Karwa / Karak refers to the earthen pot used for water offering (arghya) to the moon. Married women keep the vrat for marital longevity, harmony, and the husband’s well-being. The same tithi is also Sankashti Chaturthi for Ganesha, including Vakratunda Sankashti in some regions.
Rituals and Vidhi
Day-before preparation
- Prepare sargi items if that is family custom: fruits, dry fruits, sweets, and a pre-dawn meal offered by the mother-in-law or elder.
- Keep the puja thali ready: karwa/kalash, sieve, diya, roli, rice, flowers, sweets, water.
- Apply mehndi and arrange solah shringar elements if that is your practice.
On the fasting day
- Take sargi before sunrise where practiced.
- Begin the fast after sunrise. Traditional form is nirjala (no food or water) until moonrise.
- Spend the day in prayer, rest, and light household duties as health allows.
- In the evening, gather for group or home Karwa Chauth katha and puja during the published muhurat when possible.
- After moonrise, view the moon through a sieve, offer arghya, then view the husband and break the fast.
Evening puja vs moonrise
These are related but not identical:
- Puja muhurat (New Delhi about 05:38 PM to 06:56 PM) is the preferred window for the Goddess / Chauth Mata style evening worship and katha circle.
- Moonrise (New Delhi 08:17 PM) governs arghya to Chandra and the actual end of the fast.
Do not break the fast at puja muhurat alone unless that is an explicit medical or family exception.
Regional and Community Notes
- Strongest observance: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
- Maharashtra and other regions: many observe the day primarily as Sankashti / Vakratunda rather than full Karwa Chauth pageantry.
- South India: Karwa Chauth is less central; related spouse-wellbeing fasts such as Atla Tadde appear in some Telugu calendars on different dates.
- Diaspora: temples often publish local moonrise and community puja times; use the local clock, not India time, for parana. In 2026, New York and Toronto observe on Wednesday, October 28 while India observes on October 29 — confirm your city page before fasting.
Four days after Karwa Chauth, many North Indian mothers observe Ahoi Ashtami for children’s well-being. Diwali follows in early November 2026; see the HinduLab Diwali calendar cluster and festival hub.
Practical Tips
- If you have a medical condition, pregnancy, or are on medication, speak with a doctor before a nirjala fast. A modified fast is better than harm.
- Keep water and first bite ready before moonrise so parana is calm, not rushed.
- For moon-dependent vrats more broadly, HinduLab’s Sankashti moonrise guide explains why city latitude and longitude matter.
- Recheck timings a day or two before October 29 if you want the latest city panchang snapshot.