Karwa Chauth 2026: Date and Moonrise Time by City
Karwa Chauth is on Thursday, 29 October 2026 in India. If you're in the USA or Canada, it's Wednesday, 28 October, a day earlier.
That one-day gap catches people out every few years. Someone's mother in Ludhiana says "Thursday", the family WhatsApp group agrees, and the fast ends up on the wrong day in New Jersey. So let's get that out of the way first, and then the moonrise times for your city.
In New Delhi you'll be fasting from sunrise at 6:30 AM until the moon comes up at 8:16 PM. The puja muhurat is 5:38 PM to 6:55 PM.
Why the date isn't the same everywhere
Karwa Chauth falls on Krishna Chaturthi, the fourth day after Purnima, in the month of Kartik. That's the North Indian (purnimanta) way of naming months. In the amanta calendar used in Gujarat and the south, the same day is in Ashwin. The rule that settles the date is simple: you fast on the day when Chaturthi is running at moonrise.
This year Chaturthi begins at 1:07 AM IST on 29 October and ends at 10:10 PM IST the same night. Everywhere in India, the moon rises on Thursday evening while Chaturthi is still on. So it's Thursday.
A tithi begins at the same moment all over the world. What changes is the local clock. In New York, 1:07 AM IST is Wednesday afternoon, and by Thursday evening Chaturthi has ended. That leaves Wednesday's moonrise as the only one that counts. It isn't a matter of "India is ahead, so subtract a day". Some years the US date matches India's, and some years it doesn't. In the UK, Dubai, Australia and New Zealand it matches this year: Thursday.
Moonrise times for Karwa Chauth 2026
Every time below is local to that city. We calculated them with our own panchang engine rather than copying a single Delhi time and shifting it. The fast starts at sunrise and ends when you see the moon. The puja window opens at sunset.
India: Thursday, 29 October 2026
| City | Fast begins (sunrise) | Puja muhurat | Moonrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | 6:30 AM | 5:38 PM – 6:55 PM | 8:16 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:37 AM | 6:06 PM – 7:21 PM | 9:00 PM |
| Bangalore | 6:12 AM | 5:54 PM – 7:07 PM | 8:55 PM |
| Hyderabad | 6:13 AM | 5:46 PM – 7:00 PM | 8:41 PM |
| Chennai | 6:01 AM | 5:43 PM – 6:57 PM | 8:43 PM |
| Kolkata | 5:39 AM | 5:01 PM – 6:16 PM | 7:46 PM |
| Pune | 6:33 AM | 6:03 PM – 7:18 PM | 8:57 PM |
| Ahmedabad | 6:42 AM | 6:03 PM – 7:19 PM | 8:51 PM |
| Jaipur | 6:34 AM | 5:46 PM – 7:03 PM | 8:27 PM |
| Lucknow | 6:13 AM | 5:25 PM – 6:42 PM | 8:06 PM |
| Chandigarh | 6:35 AM | 5:37 PM – 6:55 PM | 8:12 PM |
| Ludhiana | 6:39 AM | 5:41 PM – 6:59 PM | 8:15 PM |
| Amritsar | 6:43 AM | 5:44 PM – 7:02 PM | 8:17 PM |
| Dehradun | 6:29 AM | 5:33 PM – 6:50 PM | 8:08 PM |
| Indore | 6:29 AM | 5:50 PM – 7:06 PM | 8:38 PM |
| Patna | 5:55 AM | 5:10 PM – 6:27 PM | 7:52 PM |
Kolkata sees the moon first, at 7:46 PM. Mumbai waits longest, until 9:00 PM. That's more than an hour's difference within the same country on the same night, which is why a single "Karwa Chauth moonrise time" on the news isn't much use outside Delhi.
USA and Canada: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
| City | Fast begins (sunrise) | Puja muhurat | Moonrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 7:21 AM | 5:57 PM – 7:17 PM | 7:35 PM |
| New Jersey | 7:22 AM | 5:59 PM – 7:20 PM | 7:39 PM |
| Toronto | 7:48 AM | 6:13 PM – 7:35 PM | 7:45 PM |
| Chicago | 7:18 AM | 5:49 PM – 7:10 PM | 7:27 PM |
| Houston | 7:32 AM | 6:37 PM – 7:55 PM | 8:41 PM |
| Dallas | 7:41 AM | 6:39 PM – 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM |
| San Francisco | 7:31 AM | 6:15 PM – 7:34 PM | 8:07 PM |
| Los Angeles | 7:09 AM | 6:03 PM – 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM |
| Vancouver | 7:54 AM | 5:57 PM – 7:21 PM | 7:17 PM |
There's some good news for North America: with late sunrises and an early moon, the fast in Toronto and Vancouver is under 12 hours this year.
UK and Middle East: Thursday, 29 October 2026
| City | Fast begins (sunrise) | Puja muhurat | Moonrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 6:48 AM | 4:39 PM – 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM |
| Birmingham | 6:58 AM | 4:43 PM – 6:09 PM | 6:30 PM |
| Dubai | 6:24 AM | 5:40 PM – 6:56 PM | 8:28 PM |
The UK clocks went back on 25 October, so these are GMT. If your phone hasn't caught up, check it before you plan the evening.
Australia and New Zealand: Thursday, 29 October 2026
| City | Fast begins (sunrise) | Puja muhurat | Moonrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 5:58 AM | 7:20 PM – 8:23 PM | 11:14 PM |
| Melbourne | 6:17 AM | 7:51 PM – 8:53 PM | 11:55 PM |
| Auckland | 6:19 AM | 7:50 PM – 8:53 PM | 11:46 PM |
A quick note on these times: moonrise is worked out for a clear, flat horizon. Trees, buildings or a hazy sky can hide the moon for a few minutes more. If it's not there at the listed time, give it ten minutes before you start worrying.
Sargi: eat well, eat early
The day starts in the dark. Sargi is the meal, and the basket that comes with it, from the mother-in-law. You'll usually find pheniyan or kheer, mathri, fruit, dry fruits, and something new to wear along with bangles and sindoor. It's eaten in the early hours, during Brahma Muhurat if you can manage it, and it has to be finished before sunrise.
Practical advice from people who've kept this fast for years: go easy on salt and anything fried, because you'll feel it by noon. Soaked almonds, a banana, coconut water and a glass of milk will carry you further than a plate of parathas.
The evening puja and the katha
By late afternoon the mehendi is dry and the good clothes are out. Women gather, often in a circle at someone's home or the local mandir. They worship Karwa Mata (also called Chauth Mata) with Parvati, Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Each woman brings a karwa, the small spouted pot the festival is named after, filled with water, along with a diya, roli, rice and sweets.
Thalis are passed around the circle while the older women lead the pheri songs. Then someone tells the katha. The best known is the story of Veeravati. She was the only sister of seven brothers, and she couldn't bear the hunger of her first Karwa Chauth. Her brothers couldn't bear to watch her, so they lit a fire behind the trees and told her the moon was up. She ate, and her husband fell gravely ill. It took a year of devotion and a true fast the next Karwa Chauth to bring him back.
The story is a big part of why people care so much about getting the moonrise right.
Seeing the moon
When the moon finally appears, the routine is the same in most homes. Pour water from the karwa towards the moon as arghya and say your prayer. Look at the moon through the chhalni (a sieve, often with a diya set on it), then at your husband through the same sieve. He gives you your first sip of water and a bite of something sweet, and the fast is over. Dinner follows, usually a big one.
Cloudy night? Families handle it differently. Some wait a while past moonrise and offer arghya towards where the moon should be. Others use a picture of the moon. Go with your family's custom; there isn't a single right answer.
Not in one of these cities?
Get the puja muhurat, moonrise and fasting times for wherever you are.
You can also find it with the other monthly and yearly fasts on our Karwa Chauth vrat page.
Quick answers
When is Karwa Chauth in 2026?
Thursday, 29 October 2026 in India, the UK, Dubai, Australia and New Zealand. Wednesday, 28 October 2026 in the USA and Canada.
Why is it on Wednesday in America?
You fast on the day Chaturthi is running at moonrise. In North America, Chaturthi starts on Wednesday afternoon and ends on Thursday morning, so Wednesday's moon is the one that counts.
What time does the moon rise on Karwa Chauth in Delhi?
8:16 PM on Thursday, 29 October 2026. The puja muhurat is 5:38 PM to 6:55 PM.
When should I eat sargi?
In the early hours, before sunrise. The fast begins at sunrise, so finish eating and drinking before then.
Can I fast if I'm pregnant?
Check with your doctor first. Many pregnant women keep a lighter fast with fruit and water, which is perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the day.