Wikipedia’s Karva Chauth page lists the 2026 festival for Thursday, 29 October, and Aza Fashions’ 2026 guide puts the Chaturthi tithi as beginning at 1:06 AM that day, with the fast running from about 6:31 AM to roughly 8:17 PM in Delhi. Those numbers matter because the whole fast ends on one event: the moon becoming visible in your own city.
This guide gives you the Karwa Chauth 2026 date, the puja muhurat reported for the evening, the moonrise times we could verify for Delhi and Hyderabad, why readers outside India should check local listings, and a simple way to confirm the exact time for your city before the day.
Karwa Chauth 2026 Date
Karva Chauth is observed on the fourth day of the waning moon in the Hindu month of Kartika, according to Wikipedia. In 2026 that lands on Thursday, 29 October, which is the date Wikipedia lists and the date the Aza Fashions guide uses for its timings.
HinduTone’s UK guide gives the same Thursday, 29 October. Because the festival follows the local tithi and the moon sighting, dates can differ in other time zones, so if you live outside India, check a listing for your own city. If you live in India, plan for Thursday, 29 October.
| Detail | 2026 information | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Day and date in India | Thursday, 29 October 2026 | Wikipedia |
| Chaturthi tithi begins | 1:06 AM on 29 October | Aza Fashions |
| Chaturthi tithi ends (Hyderabad) | 10:09 PM | HinduTone |
| Date for the UK | Thursday, 29 October | HinduTone |
Always treat the tithi times as a guide and confirm them against a panchang for your city.
Karwa Chauth Puja Muhurat 2026
Aza Fashions gives the evening puja muhurat as about 5:38 PM to 6:57 PM, and notes that some sources extend it to about 8:09 PM, so it advises checking a local panchangam. HinduTone’s Hyderabad page says a verified puja muhurat is not in its data for that date and also tells readers to check a local panchang.
That disagreement is useful to know. A muhurat is calculated for a location, so a time that works in Delhi can be slightly off in Pune or Chennai. Use the window as your starting point, then confirm the exact timing with your family pandit or a trusted local panchang.
What Happens in the Evening Puja
Veg Recipes of India describes a group puja in the late afternoon in which women gather with a thali of baya items, offer cosmetics such as surma, lipstick and sindoor to Gauri Maa, listen to the Karwa Chauth katha and rotate the baya thali seven times while a traditional song is sung. The baya is later given to the in-laws.
Karwa Chauth Moonrise Time 2026
Moonrise is the time that ends the fast, so it is the number most people search for. Aza Fashions gives about 8:18 PM for Delhi, and HinduTone’s Hyderabad page lists 8:41 PM. Aza Fashions also says moonrise differs by about 15 to 45 minutes from city to city.
| City | Reported moonrise on 29 October 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | About 8:18 PM | Aza Fashions |
| Hyderabad | 8:41 PM | HinduTone |
| Any other city | Check a city specific panchang | Both sources advise this |
We have only listed the cities for which we could verify a time from a named source. For Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarh and elsewhere, the safest approach is to look up your own city’s moonrise the day before and again on the day.
Why Cloud Cover Changes Everything
A panchang tells you when the moon rises, but it cannot tell you whether you can see it. On a cloudy evening many families wait until the moon is visibly out, or follow the practice their family has always used. If that applies to you, ask the elders in your family how they handle it instead of relying on an app.
Karwa Chauth Fast Timings: When It Starts and Ends
Wikipedia says married women fast from sunrise to moonrise, and that before sunrise they eat a pre-dawn meal. Aza Fashions puts the fast at 6:31 AM to about 8:17 PM for Delhi. HinduTone gives sunrise as 6:13 AM in Hyderabad, with the fast ending after moonrise at 8:41 PM.
| Moment | What happens | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-dawn | Sargi meal before sunrise | Before sunrise, which is 6:13 AM in Hyderabad per HinduTone |
| Morning | Fast begins | 6:31 AM in Delhi per Aza Fashions |
| Late afternoon | Group puja and katha | Around 4 to 5 PM per Veg Recipes of India, or the muhurat window |
| Evening | Moon sighting through a sieve, water offered to the moon | After moonrise |
| After moonrise | Husband gives water to end the fast | Followed by dinner |
If you want ideas for what to eat before sunrise, our guide to healthy breakfast ideas is a good starting point for slow release meals.
How to Break the Fast After Moonrise
Wikipedia describes women viewing the moon directly, through a sieve, or through a water vessel or dupatta, then looking at their husband’s face through the sieve and offering water to the moon. The husband then gives his wife water to break the fast and feeds her.
Veg Recipes of India adds that the husband offers water and a piece of mathri to end the fast, followed by dinner such as chole, rajma or dal makhani with rice or roti. Quint’s fasting tips advise not delaying once the moon is visible, avoiding large portions and starting with fluids or light food.
A Simple Checklist Before 29 October
| Task | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm moonrise for your city | One day before | Times differ by 15 to 45 minutes between cities |
| Plan the sargi | Evening before | Protein and fibre keep you full longer, per Quint |
| Arrange mehndi, outfit and puja thali | Two days before | Avoids last minute stress on the day |
| Keep a sieve, diya and water vessel ready | Morning of the fast | Needed for the moon sighting ritual |
| Check the muhurat with your family pandit | Morning of the fast | Muhurat windows differ between sources |
If you want more ideas for the sargi plate, see our collection of healthy snack recipes.
