Karwa Chauth 2026 timings in India

The Puja Muhurat is the evening window for the Karwa Chauth puja and katha. The Upavasa window runs from sunrise to your city’s moonrise, and the fast is completed after viewing the moon.

Outside India? Exact timings for your country

Moonrise, and even the date itself, changes with where you stand. Each page below carries verified per city timings.

The story and meaning of Karwa Chauth

Karwa Chauth falls on the Krishna Paksha Chaturthi of Kartik month. Married women keep a nirjala fast, without food or water, from sunrise until the moon rises, praying for the long life and wellbeing of their husbands. The karva, an earthen pot, gives the vrat its name and is used in the evening puja.

The most loved katha is of Queen Veervati, whose seven brothers could not bear her hunger and tricked her with a false moon. Because the fast was broken before moonrise, misfortune fell on her husband, and only her year of devotion and a proper vrat restored him. The story carries the heart of the vrat: it is completed only when the real moon is seen, which is why the moonrise time for your own city matters so much.

How the day is kept

• Sargi before dawn: a pre sunrise meal, traditionally sent by the mother in law, taken before the fast begins.
• The nirjala fast: from sunrise to moonrise, without food or water, kept through the whole day.
• Evening puja: in the Puja Muhurat window, with the karva, the Karwa Chauth katha, and shringar.
• Moonrise: the moon is viewed through a sieve, arghya is offered, and the husband offers the first sip of water and morsel of food.

Frequently asked questions

Dates and timings are verified against authoritative Panchang sources for each city shown, in local time. Traditions vary by family and region; for sankalpa and puja vidhi please also consult your family panditji.