What is Karwa Chauth?
Karwa Chauth is a one-day fast observed mainly in northern and western India. Married women fast from sunrise until the moon is seen at night, praying for the long life and wellbeing of their husbands. The name comes from karwa, a small clay pot used in the rituals, and chauth, the fourth day of the lunar fortnight. The festival falls on the fourth day (Chaturthi) of the dark half of the month of Kartik in the Purnimanta calendar, a few days before Diwali.
Today the festival is also observed by unmarried women who pray for a good partner, by some husbands who fast with their wives and by couples who see it as a day to mark their bond. The fast is voluntary, and the practice varies from family to family.
Why the moonrise time decides the date
The fast ends when the moon is seen, so the moonrise time is the most important figure of the day. The rule is that Chaturthi should be present at moonrise. When the tithi begins late in the day, or ends early, the observance can fall on a different date from the one expected, and the date is chosen by the tithi at the time of moonrise as well as during the evening puja.
The moon rises at a different time in each city, and the difference between places can be an hour or more. A city in the west of a country sees the moon later than one in the east, and cities at higher latitudes can have very different times. The moonrise table on this page is calculated for your selected city. Always check the local time and avoid relying on a figure for another city.
The story of Karwa Chauth
Several stories are told. The most common is that of Veeravati. Veeravati was a princess who was visiting the home of her parents when she kept her first Karwa Chauth fast. As the day went on she grew weak with hunger and thirst. Her brothers could not bear to see her suffering, and they made a mirror reflection in a tree to look like the moon. She broke her fast, and soon afterward she received news that her husband was ill. When she reached him, she found him dead. She prayed and fasted again with complete devotion, and in the end, he returned to life. The story is told to stress the importance of observing the fast with sincerity and waiting for the true moon.
Another tradition connects the day to the story of Savitri, who persuaded the god of death to return her husband. A third tells of a mythical Karva, a devoted wife who stopped a crocodile with a thread. In many communities the day is also an occasion for friends and neighbours to gather, and the stories are told in groups.
How the fast is observed
Sargi. Before dawn, a married woman traditionally eats sargi, a meal sent by her mother-in-law. It includes fruit, dried fruit, sweets and savouries, and it is meant to sustain her through the day.
The fast. From sunrise to moonrise, many women take neither food nor water. Some families allow water, fruit or milk, and the rules are a matter of tradition and health. Women who are pregnant, unwell or elderly, or who take medicine, should follow medical advice, and a modified fast is entirely acceptable.
Dress and decoration. Women often wear red or bright festive clothes, bangles and jewellery and apply henna to the hands. Shopping for these things before the festival is a part of the pleasure.
Evening puja. In the evening, women gather, often in a group, with decorated plates and karwas. A story is read, songs are sung, and the plates are passed from woman to woman in a circle.
Breaking the fast. When the moon rises, it is viewed through a sieve or through a lamp held in the hand, and arghya, a small offering of water, is made to the moon. The woman then looks at her husband through the sieve. He offers her the first sip of water and the first morsel of food, and the fast is over.
Karwa Chauth outside India
Families abroad usually keep the same practices. Sunrise and moonrise times depend on the city, and in northern countries the day can be very long in autumn. If your local moonrise is late at night, plan the evening meal and the household schedule around it. The moonrise table on this page is for your selected city, and a cloudy sky can hide the moon, so many families confirm it with a moon-tracking app or the printed time. When the moon is not visible, the time listed is used.
Work and school schedules are the other challenge. Many women keep the fast on a working day, and a lighter schedule, plenty of fluids in the pre-dawn meal and a pause for the evening puja help.