Karwa Chauth 2026: sargi time, puja muhurat and moonrise in your city

Karwa Chauth is nearly three weeks away, but searches for it hit their highest point of the week today. Most people want two answers: the date, and what time the moon rises in their city. Here are both, with timings taken city by city from Drik Panchang.

When is Karwa Chauth 2026?

Thursday, 29 October 2026. Karwa Chauth falls on the Chaturthi (fourth day) of Krishna Paksha in Kartik. This year Chaturthi runs from 1:06 AM to 10:09 PM on 29 October, so there's no confusion over the date. It's a restricted holiday on the central government list, not a gazetted one, so offices stay open.

Chand kab niklega? Moonrise by city

All times are IST for Thursday, 29 October 2026. Each row comes from that city's own Drik Panchang page, which we checked on 10 October at 9:15 PM IST. You can also pick your city in our moonrise lookup.

The rule of thumb: the further east you are, the earlier the moon rises. Kolkata sees it more than an hour before Mumbai. If your town isn't listed, use the nearest big city as a guide, or search your town on Drik Panchang.

These are calculated times. Clouds, haze or tall buildings can delay the actual sighting, and many families simply wait until they can see the moon.

Sargi: what time to eat it

Sargi is the pre-dawn meal, traditionally prepared by the mother-in-law. Eat it before sunrise. The fast runs from sunrise to moonrise. In Delhi, Drik Panchang puts that at 6:31 AM to 8:17 PM, about 13 hours and 46 minutes. Check the "Fast starts" column for your city and finish sargi before then.

Most women keep a nirjala fast, with no food or water, so sargi usually has things that keep you going through the day: sweets such as pheni or seviyan, fruit, dry fruit, mathri, and water or milk. Customs vary by family, so follow yours.

The thali: a simple checklist

What goes on the thali depends on your family and region. These items are the most common:

• Karwa: a small earthen or metal pot filled with water. The festival is named after it.
• Diya: a lamp with ghee or oil.
• Chhalni (sieve): you look at the moon through it, then at your husband.
• Roli or kumkum, and akshat (rice) for tilak.
• Sweets and fruit for the offering.
• A lota or glass of water for the arghya to the moon.

Searches for "karwa chauth thali set" are up sharply. A ready-made set is convenient, but you probably already have most of these at home.

How the evening goes

Women usually gather for the puja and the Karwa Chauth katha during the muhurat, which is 5:38 to 6:56 PM in Delhi. After moonrise, they look at the moon through the sieve and offer water. Then they look at their husband through the sieve and break the fast, often with water and a sweet from him.

Other dates to plan around

Dussehra is Tue 20 October and Dhanteras is Fri 6 November. Every date is in our festival dates 2026 explainer and in the Festival Kab Hai tool.

Timeline

1. Wed 28 Oct

   Night before: get the sargi and the puja thali ready.

2. Thu 29 Oct, before sunrise

   Eat sargi. In Delhi, the fast starts at 6:31 AM.

3. Thu 29 Oct, 5:38–6:56 PM

   Puja muhurat (Delhi): Karwa Chauth katha and puja.

4. Thu 29 Oct, 8:17 PM

   Moonrise in Delhi: arghya to the moon, then the fast is broken.

5. Thu 29 Oct, 10:09 PM

   Chaturthi tithi ends.