Karwa Chauth 2026 Date and Time: Puja Muhurat Guide
The lamps come out at dusk, the sieve is kept ready, and a whole day without food or water comes down to one glance at the moon. That is Karwa Chauth. For 2026, the festival clears up a doubt many families carry every year: is it on the 28th, 29th or 30th of October?
This guide confirms the karwa chauth 2026 date and time in one place: the day, the puja muhurat window, the moonrise time for New Delhi, and the full order of the vrat from morning sargi to the evening arghya. If you are keeping the fast for the first time, you will also find the common mistakes that trip people up and how to adjust the timings for your own city.
Key facts
- Date
- Thursday, 29 October 2026
- Chaturthi Tithi begins
- evening of 28 October 2026
- Chaturthi Tithi ends
- evening of 29 October 2026
- Puja muhurat
- roughly 1 hour 15 minutes before moonrise (New Delhi)
- Moonrise (New Delhi)
- around 8:00 pm
When is Karwa Chauth 2026 and is it on 28, 29 or 30 October?
Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October 2026. It is not on the 28th or the 30th. The confusion comes from the tithi, the lunar day, which does not line up neatly with the English calendar date.
Karwa Chauth is observed on the Chaturthi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik, the fourth day of the waning moon. In 2026 this Chaturthi tithi begins on the evening of 28 October and ends on the evening of 29 October. The rule is simple: the fast is kept on the day when the Chaturthi tithi is present at moonrise. That day is 29 October, so the whole festival runs on the 29th.
Note: Tithi start and end times change by a few minutes depending on your panchang and your city. The date itself, 29 October 2026, does not change across India.
Karwa Chauth 2026 puja muhurat timing
The Karwa Chauth 2026 puja muhurat is a short evening window of about 1 hour 15 minutes, falling just before moonrise in New Delhi (around 8:00 pm). You perform the katha and puja inside this window, then wait for the moon to break your fast.
The muhurat is calculated from the sunset and moonrise of your location, so it is not a fixed clock time for the whole country. For New Delhi, the puja is usually done in the early evening, roughly between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm, with the exact window depending on the panchang you follow. Check your city's window on the Devmarg muhurat tool before the evening starts.
| Event | Approx. time (New Delhi) | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Sargi / pre-dawn meal | Before sunrise, by about 4:30 am to 5:30 am | Eat the sargi, then begin the nirjala fast |
| Puja muhurat | Early evening, about 75 minutes before moonrise | Karwa Chauth katha, thali puja, gifts to the gods |
| Moonrise | Around 8:00 pm | Sight the moon through a sieve |
| Arghya and parana | Just after moonrise | Offer water to the moon, break the fast |
Watch out: Moonrise on Karwa Chauth is late, often close to or after 8:00 pm. Do not plan to break the fast by sunset. You eat only after you have seen the moon and offered arghya.
How the moonrise time changes by city
Moonrise is the single timing that varies most across India, and it decides when you actually break the fast. Cities to the east see the moon earlier; cities to the west see it later. Clouds can delay the sighting too.
As a rough guide for 29 October 2026, Kolkata sees the moon noticeably earlier than Delhi, while Mumbai and Ahmedabad see it a little later. The difference between the easternmost and westernmost large cities can run to 40 to 50 minutes. If your family in Delhi sees the moon around 8:00 pm and your sister in Mumbai is on a video call, she may still be waiting past 8:15 pm, and that is normal, not a bad omen. Always use the moonrise time for the city you are in, not the one shown on a national TV channel.
The full order of the Karwa Chauth vrat
The fast runs from before sunrise until the moon is sighted at night. Here is the sequence most North Indian households follow.
Step 1: Sargi before sunrise
Sargi is the pre-dawn meal, usually sent by the mother-in-law. You eat it before sunrise, around 4:30 am to 5:30 am in Delhi for 2026, so the fast begins on a full stomach. Many women include fruit, dry fruits, sweets and a few sips of water, because no water is allowed once the fast starts.
Step 2: Sankalp and the nirjala fast
After sargi you take a sankalp, a vow to keep the fast. Karwa Chauth is a nirjala vrat, meaning without food or water through the day. If you have a medical condition, pregnancy or are breastfeeding, speak to your doctor and keep a lighter fast with water. Health comes before the ritual.
Step 3: Evening puja and katha
In the puja muhurat you gather the thali: a karwa (small earthen or metal pot), water, a lamp, roli, rice, sweets and a sieve. The group reads or listens to the Karwa Chauth katha, the story of the fast. The Devmarg mantras collection has the common verses to recite.
Step 4: Moon sighting and arghya
When the moon rises, you view it through the sieve, then look at your husband through the same sieve. You offer arghya, water poured towards the moon, and complete any family custom such as touching the husband's feet. Only then do you drink water and eat, breaking the fast.
What first-timers get wrong
The most common mistake is breaking the fast at sunset instead of moonrise. Karwa Chauth ends with the moon, which in 2026 is around 8:00 pm in Delhi, well after dark. Eating earlier means the vrat is not complete.
Two more slips to avoid: using the wrong city's moonrise time (a Delhi timing in Pune will have you waiting or breaking too early), and keeping a strict nirjala fast against medical advice. If you feel faint, dizzy or unwell, break the fast with water. The intent of the vrat matters more than suffering through it.
Keep a bottle of water and a light snack ready near the puja thali so parana is calm, not a scramble in the dark.
Karwa Chauth 2026 in the festival calendar
Karwa Chauth on 29 October 2026 falls in Kartik month, a busy stretch of the Hindu calendar between Navratri and Diwali. It is one of several Chaturthi observances through the year; the monthly Krishna Paksha Chaturthi is kept as Sankashti Chaturthi, which many families fast for as well.
The Devmarg vrat and upavas section lists each fast with dates, and the full 2026 vrat calendar shows how Karwa Chauth lines up with Ekadashi, Pradosh and Purnima observances around it. For the moon-linked fasts, the authoritative tithi data is published in the government's panchang resources.
Quick recap for Karwa Chauth 2026
Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October. The Chaturthi tithi runs from the evening of 28 October to the evening of 29 October, and because the tithi is present at moonrise on the 29th, the fast is kept that day. Eat sargi before sunrise, do the puja in the short evening muhurat, and break the nirjala fast only after you sight the moon, around 8:00 pm in New Delhi.
Use your own city's moonrise time, check the live muhurat window on the day, and plan the parana for after dark. You can also see how the date connects with the rest of the year on the Devmarg 2026 calendar.
May your fast be easy and the moon rise clear.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Karwa Chauth 2026 puja muhurat timing?
The Karwa Chauth 2026 puja muhurat is a short evening window of roughly 1 hour 15 minutes, falling just before moonrise. For New Delhi, where the moon rises around 8:00 pm, the puja is usually done between about 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Exact minutes depend on your city's sunset and moonrise, so confirm the local window on the day.
Karwa Chauth 2026 mein kab hai, 28, 29 ya 30 October?
Karwa Chauth 2026 is on 29 October, not 28 or 30. The Chaturthi tithi starts on the evening of 28 October and ends on the evening of 29 October. The fast is kept on the day the tithi is present at moonrise, which is the 29th, so the whole festival runs on Thursday, 29 October 2026.
Why does the moonrise time differ between my city and Delhi?
Moonrise depends on your longitude. Eastern cities like Kolkata see the moon earlier, and western cities like Mumbai and Ahmedabad see it later, with a gap of up to 40 to 50 minutes across India. Always use the moonrise time for the city you are physically in, not a national average or a figure from TV.
Can I drink water during the Karwa Chauth fast?
Traditionally Karwa Chauth is a nirjala fast, meaning no food or water from before sunrise until moonrise. Many women include a few sips during sargi before dawn. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or unwell, speak to your doctor and keep a lighter fast with water. Health takes priority over a strict nirjala rule.
What time should I eat sargi for Karwa Chauth 2026?
Eat sargi before sunrise on 29 October 2026. In Delhi that means roughly 4:30 am to 5:30 am, finishing before dawn so the nirjala fast can begin. Check your local sunrise time and keep a buffer of ten to fifteen minutes. Sargi usually includes fruit, dry fruits, sweets and a little water.
Can I break the fast at sunset instead of waiting for the moon?
No. Karwa Chauth ends with moon sighting, not sunset. In 2026 the moon rises around 8:00 pm in Delhi, well after dark. Breaking the fast at sunset leaves the vrat incomplete. Keep water and a light snack near your puja thali so the parana after moonrise is calm rather than rushed.
What do I do if the moon is hidden by clouds?
If clouds hide the moon, wait a while, as it often appears in gaps. If it stays hidden, many families look in the direction of the moon's expected position, make an arghya there, and then break the fast. Some wait for a confirmed sighting from a neighbour or an elder. Follow your family custom and do not stay unwell waiting.
Is the Karwa Chauth date the same across all of India?
Yes. The date, 29 October 2026, is the same everywhere in India because it follows the lunar tithi, not local time zones. What changes city to city are the puja muhurat and moonrise times, since those depend on your sunset and the moon's rising. The day of the fast stays fixed on Thursday, 29 October 2026.