Karva Chauth 2026 date (Oct 29 India, Oct 28 USA): moonrise time by city, sargi and puja
By Kulasekhar Mittapalli · Updated
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Karva Chauth is on Thursday, October 29, 2026 in India, the UK, the Gulf, Singapore and Australia, and on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 in the US and Canada. The fast runs from sunrise to moonrise, so the time that matters is your own city's moonrise.
1The story behind Karva Chauth
Karva is the clay pot used in the puja and chauth means the fourth day: the festival falls on Krishna Chaturthi of Kartika (Ashwina in the amanta calendar), four days after Purnima.
Queen Veeravati
The best-known katha tells of Veeravati, the only sister of seven brothers, who kept her first Karva Chauth at her parents' home. Seeing her faint with hunger, the brothers lit a fire behind a tree and held up a sieve so it looked like the moon. She broke her fast, and news came that her husband had died. She kept the vrat with full devotion the next year, and her husband was restored to life through the blessing of Goddess Parvati.
Karva and Yama
Another katha tells of Karva, a devoted wife whose husband was caught by a crocodile while bathing. She bound the crocodile with a cotton thread and went to Yama, the lord of death, refusing to leave until her husband's life was spared. That is why the karva pot and a red thread are part of the puja.
2Sargi, puja and breaking the fast
- Sargi (before sunrise): a meal given by the mother-in-law: fruits, dry fruits, sweets such as pheni, mathri and parathas, eaten before dawn.
- The fast: traditionally nirjala, without food or water, from sunrise to moonrise. Many women who are pregnant, unwell or on medication keep a lighter fast; that is common and accepted.
- Evening puja: after sunset, women gather in their finery, with mehendi, sindoor and bangles. They sit in a circle with a karva of water and a thali, listen to the Karva Chauth katha, and pass the thalis around (the "phere") while singing.
- Moon sighting: at moonrise, look at the moon through a chalni (sieve), offer arghya (water) to the moon, then look at your husband through the same sieve.
- Breaking the fast: the husband offers the first sip of water and a sweet, and the family eats together.
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, women keep a similar vrat, Atla Taddi, a day earlier on Ashwayuja Bahula Tadiya, also breaking the fast after moonrise.
3Checklist: what you need
10 items
- Sargi before dawn: fruits, dry fruits, mathri, sweets
- Karwa (clay or metal pot with a spout) with water
- Puja thali: diya, roli, rice, sweets
- A sieve (channi) to see the Moon
- Karva Chauth katha book or printout
- Picture of Gauri / Chauth Mata
- Sindoor, bangles and shringar items
- Red or bridal-style clothes
- Water and a sweet to break the fast after moonrise
- Gift for the baya (mother-in-law)
4A priest, or do it yourself
Karva Chauth puja vidhi, simple (Hindi) · My pacific wall · YouTubeA video by another channel, added after our review. If your family’s custom differs, follow it.
5Puja items near you
Indian groceries and puja stores near the city you picked above.
6Moonrise time by city
The fast begins at sunrise and ends when the moon rises. Moonrise below is the moment the moon clears the horizon; trees and buildings can delay when you actually see it.
| City (Oct 29 unless noted) | Fast begins (sunrise) | Moonrise |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 6:32 AM | 8:12 PM |
| Chandigarh | 6:36 AM | 8:07 PM |
| Jaipur | 6:35 AM | 8:23 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:38 AM | 8:56 PM |
| Hyderabad | 6:14 AM | 8:36 PM |
| London | 6:50 AM | 6:22 PM |
| Dubai | 6:25 AM | 8:23 PM |
| Singapore | 6:47 AM | 9:57 PM |
| Sydney | 5:59 AM | 11:09 PM |
| New York · Oct 28 | 7:23 AM | 7:29 PM |
| New Jersey (Edison) · Oct 28 | 7:24 AM | 7:32 PM |
| Toronto · Oct 28 | 7:50 AM | 7:39 PM |
| Chicago · Oct 28 | 7:19 AM | 7:21 PM |
| Dallas · Oct 28 | 7:43 AM | 8:33 PM |
| Bay Area (San Jose) · Oct 28 | 7:29 AM | 8:02 PM |
| Seattle · Oct 28 | 7:49 AM | 7:17 PM |
Chaturthi tithi: India Thu, Oct 29, 1:07 AM → Thu, Oct 29, 10:11 PM · US Eastern Wed, Oct 28, 3:37 PM → Thu, Oct 29, 12:41 PM · US Central Wed, Oct 28, 2:37 PM → Thu, Oct 29, 11:41 AM · US Pacific Wed, Oct 28, 12:37 PM → Thu, Oct 29, 9:41 AM.
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Moonrise time in your city
Each city page has every day of the festival with local times, and the dates in India.
USA
Canada
UK & Europe
Gulf
Asia-Pacific
India
More about Karva Chauth
Keeping the vrat abroad
- Use your local moonrise, not a time from an Indian news site: in the US the date and the time are both different (table above).
- Check the weekday: in the US, Karva Chauth 2026 is a Wednesday, so plan the evening puja after work; many temples and communities hold a group katha that evening.
- Cloudy evening? Many families break the fast at the calculated moonrise time, facing the moon's direction.
- Get a reminder: add Karva Chauth to your phone's calendar from More → Alerts; it carries your city's moonrise.
Frequently asked questions
When is Karva Chauth in 2026?
Thursday, October 29, 2026, in India, the UK, the Gulf, Singapore and Australia, and Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in the US and Canada, because Chaturthi is in force at moonrise a day earlier there.
What is the Karva Chauth 2026 moonrise time in the USA?
In the US and Canada, Karva Chauth is on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Moonrise: New York 7:29 PM, Edison 7:32 PM, Chicago 7:21 PM, Dallas 8:33 PM, Houston 8:36 PM, Atlanta 8:38 PM, Bay Area 8:02 PM, Seattle 7:17 PM, Toronto 7:39 PM. In India it is on Thursday, October 29 (Delhi moonrise 8:12 PM).
What time is moonrise on Karva Chauth 2026?
It depends on your city: 8:12 PM in Delhi, 8:56 PM in Mumbai and 8:36 PM in Hyderabad on October 29; 7:29 PM in New York and 8:33 PM in Dallas on October 28. See the table for more cities.
When does the Karva Chauth fast start and end?
The fast runs from sunrise to moonrise. Sargi is eaten before sunrise, and the fast is broken after seeing the moon, usually with water and a sweet offered by the husband.
Why is Karva Chauth on a different date in the US?
Karva Chauth is kept on the evening Kartika Krishna Chaturthi (Ashwina Krishna Chaturthi in the amanta calendar) is in force at moonrise. In the Americas that happens on October 28; in India, on October 29.
Can I break the fast if clouds hide the moon?
Many families break the fast at the calculated moonrise time when the moon is hidden, often after offering arghya facing the moon’s direction. Follow your family custom.
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Calculated for each city's own sunrise, sunset and moonrise; times are shown to the minute in local time, including daylight saving. Panchangams can differ by a few minutes, and family and temple traditions vary. For general information only; it may contain errors and is not religious, astrological or medical advice. Always confirm important dates and muhurtams with your priest or temple. See the disclaimer and terms.
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