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EveryParampara

Next: 29 Oct 2026

Karva Chauth

A day of fasting kept by married women for their husbands, ended at moonrise through a sieve.

Karva Chauth
Photo: Iamwiki001, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When is Karva Chauth in 2026?

Karva Chauth 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October 2026. Other years: 2027, Monday, 18 October 2027; 2028, Saturday, 7 October 2028.

About Karva Chauth

Karva Chauth is kept on the fourth day after the full moon of Kartik, mostly in northern and western India. From before dawn, married women fast without food or water, eating a pre-dawn meal called sargi that their mothers-in-law have sent. In the evening women gather in new clothes, mehndi on their hands and bangles on their wrists, to listen to the story of Karva and pass their thalis of lamps and offerings around in a circle. When the moon rises, they see it through a sieve, then see their husband, who offers the first sip of water. Many couples now keep the fast together, and unmarried women keep it for a hoped-for partner.

Karva Chauth dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

YearKarva Chauth date
2026Thursday, 29 October 2026
2027Monday, 18 October 2027
2028Saturday, 7 October 2028

What is eaten

  • sargi
  • mathri
  • phirni

Also part of it, and being written: Mehndi (The henna drawn on hands for the day.), Sargi (The pre-dawn meal sent by the husband's mother.), Thali (The plate of lamps, sweets and offerings.).

More marked on Karva Chauth

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKarva Chauthकरकचतुर्थी A fasting festival kept by married women in North India and Nepal for the safety of their husbands.Festival 🇮🇳 IndiaAhoi Ashtami A day of fasting by Hindu mothers before Diwali, for their children's wellbeingFestival · Fasting and breaking the fast
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Karva Chauth" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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