Karva Chauth 2027

Puja Vidhi: Punjab (Karva Chauth)

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Married Women: Wives observe this strict fast for the long life, health, and prosperity of their husbands (Akhand Saubhagya).
• Newly Married Women: Brides keep their first Karva Chauth with the blessings and gifts of the family, and a bride who is at her parents' home receives the Sargi there, sent by her mother-in-law.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Sargi: Eaten before sunrise, in the early hours of the morning, before the fast begins; it is given by the mother-in-law.
• Puja Muhurat: The Karva Chauth puja is done in the evening during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset), before the Moon rises. Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Moon Sighting (Chandra Darshan): Look at the Moon and offer Arghya only after it has risen in your city; moonrise differs from city to city, so check the moonrise time for your city on this page.
• Breaking the Fast: Once the Arghya to the Moon is offered.

About the Festival

Karva Chauth is a deeply revered North Indian observance where married women keep a strict fast, without food or water, for the long life and wellbeing of their husbands. In Punjabi homes it is marked by the Sargi from the mother-in-law, the evening katha, and the singing of the Karva Chauth song. It takes place on the Chaturthi (fourth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.

The Vrat Katha (Story of Veeravati)

Once upon a time, there lived a Brahmin named Vedadharma, and his beloved daughter Veeravati. After her marriage, Veeravati kept the Karva Chauth fast with great devotion, without a drop of food or water.

As the day wore on she grew weak with hunger and thirst, and her brothers could not bear to see her suffer. One of them climbed a peepal tree with a lamp and a sieve and held the lamp behind the sieve, so that it shone like the rising Moon (or a mirror, in some tellings). Believing it was the Moon, Veeravati broke her fast. At the first morsel she sneezed, in the second she found a hair, and with the third came news that her husband had died.

Overcome with grief, she wept bitterly, until Goddess Parvati appeared before her and explained that she had broken her fast before the true Moon had risen. The Goddess advised her: "Keep the Karva Chauth fast once more with full faith and devotion, and offer Arghya only after the real Moon has risen."

Veeravati followed the advice wholeheartedly, and through the blessings of the Goddess, her husband was restored to life. Since that day, married women have observed the Karva Chauth fast for the long life and happiness of their husbands.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Image / Painting: Picture of Karwa Mata (Goddess Parvati) with Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Kumkum, Sindoor, and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Lamps & Lights: A brass or clay Diya with Ghee and cotton wick
• Karwa & Sieve: A clay pot with a spout (Karwa) filled with water, and a sieve (Channi) for viewing the Moon
• Thali & Naivedya: A puja Thali for each woman, with sweets and fruits as Naivedya
• Devotional Accessories: Flowers, sacred thread (kalava), and the Baya, a gift for the mother-in-law

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up early during Brahma Muhurta and eat the Sargi given by your mother-in-law, which always includes Fenia (fine, sweet vermicelli). Then bathe and wear clean, auspicious clothes.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Divine Mother Karwa, today I observe this fast for the long life, health, and wellbeing of my husband. Grant me the strength to fulfil this vow with pure devotion."
3. Observe the fast throughout the day, without food or water, until the Moon is sighted in the evening.

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Altar (Late Afternoon)

1. Clean the northeastern corner (Ishan Kone) or eastern wall of your room.
2. Place the picture of the Goddess on a wooden stool (Chowki) covered with a clean red cloth.
3. Place the Karwa filled with water, with a lamp and Akshat, near the picture.

Step 3: Performing the Evening Rituals

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya and place it in front of the Goddess.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat to the image and the Karwa.
3. Offering Flowers & Threads: Offer fresh flowers and tie a piece of Kalava (red thread) around the Karwa.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place sweets and fruits before the deity.

Step 4: Reciting the Vrat Katha

1. Hold a few grains of wheat or rice and a few flower petals in your right hand.
2. Sit with the other women of the family in a circle with your puja Thalis, and listen to the Karva Chauth Vrat Katha of Veeravati with deep focus and devotion.
3. Then, as Punjabi families do, pass the Thalis around the circle seven times while singing the Karva Chauth song (the pheri). Its verses name what is not done on this day: no spinning or weaving, no sewing, no appeasing someone who is sulking, no waking someone who is asleep, and no going into a neighbour's home.
4. After completing the story and the song, sprinkle the held grains near the deity's feet.

Step 5: Aarti and Arghya (Moon Sighting)

1. Perform the Karwa Mata Aarti using the lit Ghee lamp while singing devotional hymns.
2. Once the Moon has risen, step outside with the Karwa and the sieve, and look at the Moon through the sieve (some families look at its reflection in a vessel of water, or through a dupatta).
3. Offer Arghya (pouring water slowly while looking at the Moon), praying for the longevity and happiness of your husband.
4. Then look at your husband through the same sieve.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Breaking the Fast

1. Touch the feet of the elders in your family, especially your mother-in-law, to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh), and give her the Baya (in many families it comes from the woman's own mother).
2. Your husband gives you the first sip of water to break your fast.
3. Distribute the prasad among family members and have a simple sattvic meal.

Puja Vidhi: Rajasthan (Chauth Mata)

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Married Women: Married women observe this fast for the long life of their husbands and for unbroken marital good fortune (Akhand Saubhagya).
• Women Who Worship Chauth Mata: Women in families that honour Chauth Mata on this day keep the vrat as their household has handed it down, seeking her blessings.

When Should This Be Performed?

• The Fast: Kept from the morning until the Moon has risen; nothing is eaten before the Arghya to the Moon.
• Puja Muhurat: The Chauth Mata puja is done in the evening during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset), before the Moon rises. Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Moon Sighting (Chandra Darshan): Offer Arghya only after the Moon has risen in your city; moonrise differs from city to city, so check the moonrise time for your city on this page.
• Breaking the Fast: After the Arghya to the Moon is offered.

About the Festival

Karva Chauth is a much-loved Rajasthani observance in which married women fast and worship Chauth Mata, a form of Goddess Parvati, for the long life of their husbands. It takes place on the Chaturthi (fourth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik. Devotees also honour the Goddess at the Chauth Mata temple in Bundi, where a fair is held on this day.

The Vrat Katha (Chauth Mata Kahani)

Once upon a time, there lived a moneylender (sahukar) who had seven sons and one daughter. The seven brothers never sat down to eat without their sister. On the day of the Kartik Chauth fast, they called her, "Come, sister, eat with us." She replied, "Today is my Karva Chauth fast. I will eat only after the Moon has risen." The brothers could not bear to see her hungry. One took a lamp, another took a sieve, and they went behind a sand dune (teeba), lit the lamp and covered it with the sieve. Then they came back and said, "Sister, look, the Moon has risen. Go and offer Arghya." She asked her sisters-in-law to come along, but they said, "Bai ji, your moon has risen; ours will rise at night." The innocent girl did not understand, offered Arghya, and sat down to eat with her brothers.

A few days later, the Chauth of Magsir came, saying, "Karvo le, sister of brothers, karvo le. Karvo le, you who broke the fast, karvo le." The girl caught her feet and said, "You must give me back my suhag (husband's well-being and my married good fortune)." The Chauth of Magsir answered that the Chauth of Paush was greater than she and would give it. In the same way, the Chauth of every month that followed sent her on to the next, greater one.

At last the Chauth of Asoj came and told her: "The Chauth of Kartik is displeased with you. Fall at her feet, and she will give you your suhag." Then Karva Chauth herself arrived with a rumble and said, "Karvo le, beloved sister of brothers, karvo le. Karvo le, you who raised the Moon by day, you who broke the fast, karvo le." The moneylender's daughter held her feet, wept, and prayed, "O Chauth Mata, give me back my suhag. Forgive my mistake." Chauth Mata asked, "You raised the Moon at the wrong hour, so why do you hold my feet now?" But the girl begged again for forgiveness.

Pleased with her tears and her repentance, Chauth Mata took mehndi from her finger, kajal from her eye, and roli from her tilak, and sprinkled them upon her. The moment the drops fell, her husband sat up, alive. The couple celebrated Chauth Mata with great joy, prepared Churma, listened to the kahani, and kept the karwa. They bowed to the Goddess, ate, and began to play chopar (a dice game). When the maid came with food and saw them playing, she told the mother-in-law, who came upstairs and was overjoyed to see her son alive and well. When she asked how this had happened, the daughter-in-law replied, "Karva Chauth Mata blessed me with my suhag." She touched her mother-in-law's feet, and the mother-in-law gave her many blessings. Since that day, women have kept the Karva Chauth fast and worshipped Chauth Mata, praying, "O Chauth Mata, as you gave suhag to the moneylender's daughter, give it to us all."

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Image / Painting: Picture of Chauth Mata, or her form drawn on the wall
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Lamps & Lights: A brass or clay Diya with Ghee and cotton wick
• Karwa & Water: An earthen Karwa filled with fresh water for the Arghya
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Churma made with Ghee and jaggery
• Devotional Accessories: Flowers and sacred thread (kalava)

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up early, bathe, and wear clean, auspicious clothes.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Chauth Mata, today I observe this Karva Chauth fast for the long life of my husband. Grant me the strength to keep it with pure devotion until the Moon rises."
3. Eat nothing through the day until you have offered Arghya to the Moon.

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Altar

1. Clean a place in your home where you will worship.
2. Draw the image of Chauth Mata on the wall, or place her picture there.
3. Place the Karwa filled with water in front of the image, and keep the Churma ready for the offering.

Step 3: Worshipping Chauth Mata

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya and place it before Chauth Mata.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli and Akshat to the image of Chauth Mata and the Karwa.
3. Offering Flowers & Threads: Offer fresh flowers and tie a piece of Kalava around the Karwa.
4. Offering Naivedya: Offer the Churma of Ghee and jaggery to Chauth Mata.

Step 4: Listening to the Chauth Mata Kahani

1. Sit respectfully before the altar with the other women of the family; traditionally the elder women tell the kahani.
2. Listen to the Chauth Mata Kahani with full attention, saying "hunkara" (a word of assent) as the story goes on.
3. At the end, pray: "O Chauth Mata, as you gave suhag to the moneylender's daughter, give it to us too." Families who exchange karwas with fellow fasting women do so seven times.

Step 5: Arghya (Moon Sighting)

1. After the Moon has risen in your city, step outside with the Karwa of water.
2. Offer Arghya to the Moon by pouring the water slowly, and bow to it.
3. Pray for the long life of your husband and the lasting good fortune of your married life.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Breaking the Fast

1. Touch the feet of your mother-in-law and the other elders to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Share the Churma prasad among the family.
3. Break your fast by partaking in the prasad and a simple sattvic meal.

Puja Vidhi: Uttar Pradesh and Hindi Belt

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Married Women: Married women observe this fast for the long life, health, and happiness of their husbands, seeking the blessing of an unbroken married life (Akhand Saubhagya).
• Newly Married Women: Brides keep their first Karwa Chauth with special devotion, receiving the blessings of Karwa Mata and the elders of the family.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Sargi: Given by your mother-in-law and eaten in the early hours of the morning, before sunrise, to begin the fast. Soot feni with milk and sugar is a part of it.
• Puja Muhurat: The Karwa Chauth puja is done in the evening during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset), before the Moon rises. Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Moon Sighting (Chandra Darshan): Look at the Moon and offer Arghya only after it has risen in your city; moonrise differs from city to city, so check the moonrise time for your city on this page.
• Breaking the Fast: Once the Arghya to the Moon is offered and your husband gives you the first sip of water.

About the Festival

Karwa Chauth is a deeply revered North Indian observance where married women keep a strict waterless fast and perform puja for the long life and wellbeing of their husbands. It takes place on the Chaturthi (fourth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.

The Vrat Katha (Story of Karwa and Her Seven Brothers)

Once upon a time, there lived a moneylender (sahukar) who had seven sons and one daughter, Karwa. The seven brothers loved their sister so dearly that they never ate until she had eaten. After her marriage, Karwa came to her parents' home, and it so happened that Karwa Chauth fell during her stay. She kept the waterless fast for her husband's long life and could eat only after offering Arghya to the Moon.

By evening, Karwa was faint with hunger and thirst, and the Moon had not yet risen. Her youngest brother could not bear to see her so weak. He lit a lamp and placed it behind a sieve on a distant peepal tree, so that it looked like the Moon rising. Karwa believed him, offered Arghya to the light, and sat down to eat. At the first morsel she sneezed, in the second she found a hair, and as she lifted the third, news came that her husband had died. Her sister-in-law (bhabhi) then told her that the fast had been broken before the true Moon had risen.

Karwa refused to let her husband's last rites be performed. She sat beside him for a whole year, tending him and gathering the needle-like grass that grew on his body. When Karwa Chauth came again, the bhabhis kept the fast and came to her for blessings. To each she pleaded, "Yam suyi le lo, piya suyi de do, mujhe bhi apni jaisi suhagin bana do," and each sent her on to the next. The sixth bhabhi advised her: "It was the youngest brother's trick that broke your fast, so only his wife has the power to revive your husband. Hold her tightly and do not let her go until she brings him back to life."

Karwa held on to the youngest bhabhi through all her resistance. Moved by Karwa's devotion, the bhabhi cut her little finger and let a drop of nectar (amrit) fall into the husband's mouth. He rose at once, calling out the name of Shri Ganesh, and Karwa received her married life back. Since that day, women have observed the Karwa Chauth fast to seek the blessing of an unbroken married life.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Karwa & Sieve: A clay Karwa with a spout filled with fresh water, and a sieve (Chhalni) for viewing the Moon
• Wall Drawing: Rice flour paste (Chawal ka ghol) for drawing Karwa Mata, the Shiva family and the Karwa on a clean wall (or a printed picture of Karwa Mata)
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Grains for the Katha: Thirteen grains of wheat or rice
• Lamps & Lights: A clay or brass Diya with Ghee and cotton wick
• Devotional Accessories: Flowers, sacred thread (Kalava), fruits, and homemade sweets

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up early before sunrise, eat the Sargi given by your mother-in-law, then bathe and wear clean, auspicious clothes (preferably red, yellow, or pink; avoid wearing black).
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Karwa Mata, today I observe this fast for the long life and wellbeing of my husband. Grant me the strength to fulfill this vow with pure devotion."
3. Observe the fast through the day without food or water, until the Moon is sighted in the evening.

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Wall (Late Afternoon)

1. Clean a wall in the puja room or the northeastern corner (Ishan Kone) of your home.
2. Draw the Karwa, Karwa Mata and the Shiva family on the wall with rice flour paste (or place a printed picture of Karwa Mata). In some Lucknow homes, the puja is done at the stone mortar (Okhal).
3. Place a wooden stool (Chowki) before the wall and set the Karwa filled with water upon it. Apply thirteen dots of Roli on the Karwa.

Step 3: Performing the Evening Rituals

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya and place it before the wall drawing.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat to Karwa Mata and the Karwa.
3. Offering Flowers & Threads: Offer fresh flowers and tie a piece of Kalava around the Karwa.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place the fruits and homemade sweets before the deity.

Step 4: Reciting the Vrat Katha

1. Sit before the wall with thirteen grains of wheat or rice in your right hand, and recite or listen to the Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha with deep focus and devotion.
2. After the story, place the grains near the Karwa. Then sit in a circle with the other women and exchange Karwas with each other seven times, singing the traditional Karwa song (in some parts of Uttar Pradesh, the women also pass their thalis around the circle).
3. Pass your hand around the Karwa, touch the feet of your mother-in-law, and give her the Karwa as your Bayana (a gift of respect). In some families it is given to a sister-in-law.

Step 5: Aarti and Arghya (Moon Sighting)

1. Perform the Karwa Mata Aarti using the lit Ghee lamp while singing devotional hymns.
2. Once the Moon has risen in your city, step outside with a sieve and a lit Diya, and look at the Moon through the sieve (some homes look at its reflection in a vessel of water, or through a dupatta).
3. Offer Arghya by pouring water slowly toward the Moon from a vessel of water, praying for your husband's long life.
4. Turn and look at your husband through the same sieve.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Breaking the Fast

1. Touch the feet of your husband and the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Let your husband give you the first sip of water, and then the first bite of food.
3. Break your fast by partaking in the prasad and a simple sattvic meal, and share the sweet prasad with your family.