Karva Chauth is kept mainly in north India. The name comes from karva, a small clay pot of water, and chauth, the fourth day. Women who keep it rise before dawn, eat a pre-dawn meal called sargi, which is traditionally sent by the mother-in-law, and fast through the day. In the evening they gather, listen to the katha, pass their thalis around, and break the fast after the Moon rises.
Timing
The fast begins at sunrise and ends at moonrise, so the time depends on your city. The Karva Chauth page lists the date, the puja muhurat and the moonrise time for 49 cities, such as New Delhi, Toronto and Dubai. We do not give dates here. For a city that is not listed, use the any-city tool.
Samagri: the puja thali
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Two karvas with lids, filled with water or milk | One for the arghya to the Moon, one given as a gift |
| A sieve (chhalni) | The Moon and then the husband are seen through it |
| Lamp (diya) with ghee and a few wicks | Lit for the puja and held in the thali |
| Roli, rice, turmeric | For tilak and the puja |
| Sweets and a few fruits | Naivedya |
| Bangles, bindi, mehendi and a red cloth | The shringar, the adornment, and small gifts |
| A picture of Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha, or a clay figure | Worshipped in the evening |
| Water in a small pot | For the arghya |
Steps in order
- Before sunrise, eat the sargi: fruit, dry fruit, sweets and a light meal, and drink water. Take the vow (sankalp) for the day.
- Spend the day as you usually do; many women apply mehendi and prepare for the evening.
- In the afternoon or evening, dress in festive clothes. Set up the thali and place the karvas, the lamp and the sweets in it.
- Gather with others if you can. Sit in a circle, listen to the katha and pass the thalis around seven times, singing the traditional song.
- After moonrise, offer water from the karva to the Moon through the sieve.
- Look at your husband’s face through the sieve, take his blessing, and have him give you a first sip of water and a bite of food.
- Break the fast with a meal. Give the second karva as a gift to a married woman or an elder, as your family does.
The katha
The most common story is that of Veeravati, the only sister of seven brothers. Newly married, she came to her parents’ home and kept her first Karva Chauth. By evening she was faint with hunger. Her brothers could not bear to see her so and, as the tradition tells, made a lamp glow behind a tree, or held up a mirror, so that it looked like the Moon had risen. Veeravati believed them and broke her fast.
Then news came that her husband had died. She wept all night, and a goddess, in some tellings Parvati and in some Indrani, told her that her fast had been broken before the real moonrise. Veeravati kept the vow again with care, and her husband was restored to life. The story is told as a reminder of the strength of devotion and of the importance of keeping a vow with full attention.
Other tellings, such as that of Karva, a woman who saved her husband from a crocodile by binding it with thread, are told in different regions, and none of them is claimed to be a historical account.
Regional variations
Customs differ by region and family; follow your family’s custom. In Punjab sargi is central, and the fast is often waterless. In Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh the puja has its own songs and ways of arranging the thali. In some families husbands also fast, and in some households unmarried women or others keep the fast for a chosen intention.
Fasting and health
Traditionally this is a fast without food, and often without water, until moonrise. That is a hard day, and it is not for everyone. Anyone who is pregnant, nursing, diabetic, has low blood pressure, an eating disorder, or takes regular medication should consult a doctor first. Many women now take water, juice or fruit and still regard the vow as kept. No tradition asks anyone to put their health at risk.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Can I drink water during the fast?
The strictest form is without water. Many families, and many doctors, advise taking water, and a vow kept with water is regarded as valid by most communities. Follow your family and your health.
↳ What if the Moon is hidden by clouds?
Check the calculated moonrise for your city. If the sky is cloudy, many women break the fast after that time, as advised by family or the local temple, and offer the arghya in the direction of the Moon.
↳ Is Karva Chauth only for married women?
It is traditionally kept by married women, but modern families vary: some husbands keep it with their wives, and some unmarried women keep it with a prayer for a chosen partner or family.
↳ What is sargi?
Sargi is the meal eaten before sunrise on the day of the fast. It is traditionally sent by the mother-in-law and includes sweets, fruit, dry fruit and a light dish.