Thursday, October 29, 2026
Married women observe a day-long fast from sunrise to moonrise for the long life and well-being of their husbands. Women dress in bridal attire, apply mehendi, and break their fast after sighting the moon through a sieve and then looking at their husbands.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Ganesha, and Chandrama (Moon)
Wake up before sunrise and consume the Sargi — a pre-dawn meal traditionally prepared by the mother-in-law. Sargi includes fruits, mathri, sweets, and milk. After sargi, begin the nirjala vrat (no food or water) until moonrise.
In the afternoon, bathe, apply mehendi, and dress in bridal finery — red saree or lehenga, complete 16 shringaar (solah shringaar), bangles, bindi, sindoor. This symbolises devotion to one's husband.
Set up a chowki in the puja room covered with red cloth. Place images of Shiva, Parvati with Ganesha and Kartikeya, and Chandrama. Place the karwas in a circle. Women traditionally gather at a neighbour's or relative's house for a collective puja.
Sit facing east or north. Hold water, akshat (unbroken rice), and a flower in your right palm. The Sankalp mantra below is pre-filled with today's panchang (tithi, nakshatra, samvat year, lunar month, and weekday) — only the bracketed cues marked [say "…"] remain for you to fill in: your city, your gotra, and your full name. Women replace गोत्रोत्पन्नः with गोत्रोत्पन्ना. Release the water, akshat, and flower onto a plate as you finish the mantra.
ॐ विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुः। श्रीमद्भगवतो महापुरुषस्य विष्णोराज्ञया प्रवर्तमानस्य अद्य ब्रह्मणो द्वितीये परार्धे श्वेतवाराहकल्पे वैवस्वतमन्वन्तरे कलियुगे प्रथमचरणे जम्बूद्वीपे भारतवर्षे भरतखण्डे आर्यावर्तान्तर्गते [say "your city name"] नगरे, विक्रम संवत्सरे 2083 (सिद्धार्थी) वत्सरे, मार्गशीर्ष मासे, कृष्ण पक्षे, चतुर्थी तिथौ, गुरुवासरे, रोहिणी नक्षत्रे, [say "your gotra, e.g. Kashyapa"] गोत्रोत्पन्नः, [say "your full name"] नामाहम्, सकल दुरित क्षय पूर्वक सकल अभीष्ट सिद्ध्यर्थं पति दीर्घायुष्य-आरोग्य प्राप्त्यर्थं श्री पार्वती-शिव-गणेश प्रीत्यर्थं श्री करवा चौथ व्रतम् अहं करिष्ये।
The tithi, nakshatra, lunar month, weekday and samvat year in the mantra above are for Karwa Chauth Puja's upcoming date: Thursday, 29 October 2026. These values auto-update each year.
Worship Lord Ganesha with durva, red flowers, modak, and kumkum to begin the puja auspiciously.
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः॥
Invoke Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati into the images. Perform the sixteen upacharas — Asana, Padya, Arghya, Achamaniya, Snana, Vastra, Gandha, Akshat, Pushpa, Dhupa, Deepa, Naivedya, Tambula, Pradakshina, Namaskar. Offer a bel patra to Shiva and red flowers to Parvati.
ॐ नमः शिवाय॥ ॐ पार्वत्यै नमः॥
All married women sit together while the eldest reads the Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha — the story of Veeravati (or Shakuntala). Hold a small amount of akshat in your hand and drop a few grains after each pause. Listening to the katha is essential to the vrat.
हे गौरा माता, मेरे पति की रक्षा करना।
Each woman picks up her karwa and exchanges it seven times with the others in a circular motion, reciting: 'Sada suhagan bani rahun, akhand saubhagyavati bani rahun' (may I remain forever married with blessings of long life). This communal exchange strengthens the vrat.
After moonrise, step outside with the puja thali holding a diya, water, sweets, and the sieve. Sight the moon first through the sieve, then look at your husband through it. Offer arghya to the moon by pouring water from the karwa while chanting the Chandra mantra.
ॐ चन्द्राय नमः॥ ॐ सोमाय नमः॥
The husband offers the first sip of water and the first bite of food (traditionally a sweet) to the wife — breaking her fast. Touch his feet for blessings. Then the full meal — halwa-puri or other festive food — is served. Baya (gift thali) is sent to the mother-in-law's home.
This guide reflects classical Parashari tradition. Regional variations exist — consult a family priest for specifics.
