Karwa Chauth Puja Samagri List 2026

Karwa Chauth is on Thursday, 29 October 2026. See the muhurat and timings for your city

This Karwa Chauth puja samagri list walks you through the whole day: the sargi before sunrise, the puja thali and the karwa for the evening katha, the shringar, and the chhalni and arghya for moonrise.

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Tick items off as you go. To keep a paper copy, print this page: the checklist prints on its own.

Sargi before sunrise

The sargi is traditionally sent or prepared by the mother in law and eaten before sunrise, before the fast begins. In many Punjabi families it also carries a few shringar items as her blessing. Buy the fresh items the day before.

• Sargi thali set1Find on Amazon ↗

  A decorated plate that holds the sargi, often given by the mother in law as the first blessing of the day.

• Pheni or sevaiyan1 bowl for each person keeping the vrat, cooked in milkBuy fresh locally

  Sweet vermicelli in milk is the classic sargi dish in North Indian homes and a filling start to a long day.

• Fresh fruit2 or 3 kindsBuy fresh locally

  Juicy seasonal fruit adds freshness to the sargi before the nirjala fast begins.

• Dry fruitsa handful, soaked overnightBuy fresh locally

  Almonds, cashews and raisins are part of the sargi in many families and are easy to eat before dawn.

• Mathri and sweetsa few pieces, plus extra for the bayaBuy fresh locally

  Mathri and a favourite mithai make the sargi festive, and extra pieces are kept aside for the baya.

The puja thali

Arrange the thali in the afternoon so the evening puja is unhurried. Check the puja muhurat for your city on our Karwa Chauth guide.

• Puja thali1Find on Amazon ↗

  The thali holds everything for the puja and is carried to the katha and later to the moon darshan.

• Roli or kumkum1 small boxFind on Amazon ↗

  Roli is used for the tilak on the karwa, on the image of Karwa Mata and on the women at the puja.

• Sindoor1 small boxFind on Amazon ↗

  Sindoor is offered to Karwa Mata as the mark of suhaag and then applied in the parting of the hair.

• Akshat (unbroken rice)a small bowlFrom home

  Unbroken rice is offered with the roli as a sign of wholeness, and a few grains are held in the hand during the katha.

• Diya with ghee and cotton wicks1 or 2Find on Amazon ↗

  The lit diya is kept burning through the katha and held with the chhalni when the moon is seen.

• Kalava (mauli)1 rollFind on Amazon ↗

  The sacred red thread is tied around the neck of the karwa and offered to Karwa Mata.

• Dhoop or agarbatti1 packFind on Amazon ↗

  Fragrant dhoop is offered during the puja and keeps the space fragrant through the katha.

• Fresh flowersa small bunch and a few loose flowersBuy fresh locally

  Flowers are offered to Karwa Mata, and a petal or two often goes into the arghya water.

• Sweets for bhog1 small boxBuy fresh locally

  Sweets are offered to Karwa Mata as bhog and shared as prasad after the fast is broken.

The karwa

The vrat takes its name from the karwa, a small spouted pot. Earthen is the traditional choice, and many families use brass or copper and keep it for years.

• Karwa, earthen or metal1, or 2 where karwas are exchangedFind on Amazon ↗

  The spouted pot is filled, marked with roli, tied with kalava and worshipped at the centre of the puja.

• Lid for the karwa, with rice or sugar1 lid, usually sold with the karwaFrom home

  The lid covers the karwa and holds rice, sugar or a sweet, which many families later give with the baya.

• Seenk (grass straws)a fewBuy fresh locally

  In many North Indian homes a few straws of seenk are placed in the spout of the karwa, an old custom kept as the elders taught.

For the evening puja and katha

The women of the family or the neighbourhood often sit together for the katha. Keep the image, the karwa and the thali on one clean chowki.

• Karwa Mata image or calendar print1Find on Amazon ↗

  The printed image, often showing Karwa Mata with Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and the moon, is worshipped on the wall or the chowki during the katha.

• Karwa Chauth vrat katha book1Find on Amazon ↗

  The katha of Queen Veervati is read aloud or heard together, and it is the heart of the evening puja.

• Chowki with a red cloth1 chowki, 1 red clothFind on Amazon ↗

  A clean raised seat covered in red cloth gives the image and the karwa a proper place for the puja.

• Athavari (eight puris) and halwa8 puris and a little halwaFrom home

  In many North Indian families eight puris with halwa are offered at the puja and later given with the baya.

• Baya for the mother in law1 thali of sweets, mathri and dry fruits, often with a saree or suitBuy fresh locally

  After the katha the baya is given to the mother in law or an elder woman of the family, touching her feet for her blessing.

Shringar

Women dress as on their wedding day for the evening puja, many in red or in their bridal outfit. Mehndi is usually applied the evening before.

• Mehndi cones2 or 3Find on Amazon ↗

  Mehndi on the hands is a sign of suhaag and one of the most loved parts of preparing for the vrat.

• Glass bangles1 set for each handFind on Amazon ↗

  Red and green glass bangles are worn as part of the shringar and are often included in the sargi or the baya.

• Bindi1 cardFind on Amazon ↗

  A red bindi on the forehead is one of the sixteen adornments of the solah shringar.

• Red outfit or chunari1Find on Amazon ↗

  Red is the colour of suhaag, so many women wear a red saree, suit or their wedding lehenga, and a red chunari is also offered to Karwa Mata.

• Solah shringar set1 setFind on Amazon ↗

  The set gathers the sixteen adornments, from sindoor and bindi to bichhiya and kajal, and in many families one set is offered to Karwa Mata.

• Mahavar or alta1 small bottleFind on Amazon ↗

  Red mahavar on the feet is part of the bridal shringar that many women keep for the vrat.

For the moon arghya

Keep these by the door or on the terrace before the moon rises. Moonrise differs from city to city, so check the moonrise for your city on our Karwa Chauth guide.

• Decorated chhalni (sieve)1Find on Amazon ↗

  The moon is viewed through the sieve with the diya alight, and then the face of the husband, completing the moonrise ritual.

• Water for the arghyathe filled karwa, or a lota of waterFrom home

  Water from the karwa or a lota, in many homes with a little raw milk, akshat and a flower, is poured to the moon as arghya.

• Water and a sweet to break the fast1 glass of water, 1 sweetFrom home

  After the arghya the husband offers the first sip of water and the first bite, and the vrat is complete.

• Gift for wife1Find on Amazon ↗

  Many husbands mark the end of the fast with a small gift, a loving custom in many homes today.

For each item you will find why it is used and how much to keep, so the thali can be arranged calmly in one afternoon. Fresh things such as fruit, flowers, pheni and sweets are best bought locally, while the karwa, chhalni and katha book can be ordered ahead. The nirjala fast runs from sunrise until the moon is seen, so check the moonrise for your city on our Karwa Chauth guide.

Setting it up

1. The evening before, apply mehndi and keep the outfit, the shringar and the sargi ready.
2. Before sunrise, eat the sargi, drink water and take the sankalp of the nirjala vrat.
3. In the afternoon, clean the puja corner, set the chowki with a red cloth and put up the Karwa Mata image or calendar print.
4. Fill the karwa, mark it with roli, tie kalava around its neck, cover it with the lid holding rice or sugar, and place it beside the image.
5. Arrange the thali with roli, sindoor, akshat, the diya, kalava, dhoop, flowers and sweets, and keep the chhalni and the katha book next to it.
6. Dress in your shringar, light the diya, do the puja in the evening muhurat and hear the katha holding a few grains of akshat. Check the puja muhurat for your city on our Karwa Chauth guide.
7. Give the baya to your mother in law or an elder woman of the family and touch her feet for her blessing.
8. When the moon rises, view it through the chhalni with the diya lit, offer arghya, then look at your husband through the chhalni and take the first sip of water from his hand. Check the moonrise for your city on our Karwa Chauth guide.

Tips

• Buy the karwa, chhalni, katha book and shringar items a week or two ahead, as markets grow crowded close to the vrat.
• Soak an earthen karwa and clay diyas in water for a few hours and let them dry, so the karwa holds water and the diyas do not soak up the ghee.
• Choose natural henna, and if your skin is sensitive, try a little on the wrist first.
• Keep the sargi simple: fruit, soaked dry fruits, pheni and a little sweet, with enough water before sunrise.
• After the festival, keep a metal karwa for next year, and return an earthen one to the soil or use it in the garden as a small planter.
• If you live outside India, follow the moonrise of your own city rather than Indian timings, and check the moonrise for your city on our Karwa Chauth guide.

Across regions

Customs differ from family to family, and each is complete in itself. In Punjab and among Punjabi families everywhere, the sargi comes from the mother in law before dawn, the women gather in the evening in their finery and pass their thalis around a circle, usually seven times, while the traditional feri songs are sung, and the baya is given to the mother in law in return. In Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, many homes make Gauri from yellow clay or draw Karwa Mata on the wall, offer eight puris with halwa, and in some families the women exchange karwas with one another during the puja. The karwa may hold water, wheat or sweets, and may be earthen or metal, as each family has always kept it. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Atla Taddi is a related vrat in the same fortnight, also broken after seeing the moon.

Questions

What samagri is needed for Karwa Chauth puja?

A karwa with its lid, a puja thali with roli, sindoor, akshat, a diya, kalava, dhoop, flowers and sweets, the Karwa Mata image or calendar print, the katha book, a chhalni for the moon, and shringar such as mehndi, bangles, bindi and a red outfit. The sargi is prepared separately for before sunrise.

What is kept in the sargi?

Traditionally fruit, dry fruits, pheni or sevaiyan cooked in milk, mathri and sweets, sent or prepared by the mother in law and eaten before sunrise. Many families also include a few shringar items.

What is filled in the karwa?

In most homes the karwa is filled with water, which is later used for the moon arghya, and the lid holds rice, sugar or a sweet. Some families fill the karwa with wheat or sweets instead and offer arghya from a separate lota. Follow your family custom.

Can a metal karwa be used instead of an earthen one?

Yes. Earthen is the traditional choice, and many families use a brass, copper or silver karwa and keep it for years. Follow what your family has always done.

Why is the moon seen through a chhalni?

In many tellings of the Veervati katha, her brothers made a false moon with a lamp behind a sieve. Viewing the real moon through the chhalni, offering arghya and then seeing the husband is how many families complete the vrat today.

The full Karwa Chauth 2026 guide
More samagri lists: Dhanteras · Diwali · Chhath Puja