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नमः शिवायै शर्वाण्यै सौभाग्यं संततिं शुभाम्।
Why do we celebrate Karwa Chauth?
The vrat for akhand saubhagya, the kathas of Queen Veeravati and of Karwa, why Shiv–Parvati and Chauth Mata are worshipped, and how the day is kept — from sargi to the moon.
Kartik Krishna Chaturthi
A vrat for akhand saubhagya
Karwa Chauth falls on the fourth day (chauth) of the waning moon in the month of Kartik. Married women keep a nirjala vrat — without food or water — from sunrise until the moon rises, praying for the long life, health and happiness of their husbands. The karwa is the earthen pot used in the puja.
The day begins before dawn with sargi, a meal lovingly prepared by the mother-in-law. In the evening women dress as brides, gather to hear the katha, and worship Maa Gauri (Parvati), Lord Shiva, Ganesh ji, Kartikeya and Chauth Mata. The fast ends after offering arghya to the moon.
In 2026, Karwa Chauth falls on Thursday, 29 October.
नमः शिवायै शर्वाण्यै सौभाग्यं संततिं शुभाम्। प्रयच्छ भक्तियुक्तानां नारीणां हरवल्लभे॥
— Traditional Karwa Chauth prayer to Maa Gauri · “O beloved of Hara, grant good fortune and blessed children to the women who worship you with devotion.”
The vrat katha
The story of Queen Veeravati
Veeravati was the only sister of seven loving brothers. On her first Karwa Chauth after marriage she kept the fast at her parents' home, and by evening she was faint with hunger and thirst.
Unable to see her suffer, her brothers lit a fire behind a tree and held up a sieve, so that it looked like the rising moon. Veeravati broke her fast — and soon the news came that her husband had died.
Heartbroken, she prayed to Maa Parvati, who told her the fast had been broken before the true moon rose. With deep devotion Veeravati kept the vrat the next year exactly as prescribed, and by the Mother's grace her husband's life was restored. This is why the fast is ended only after seeing the moon.
Another katha
Karwa and the crocodile
Another katha tells of a devoted wife named Karwa. When a crocodile seized her husband as he bathed in the river, she bound it with a cotton thread and called upon Yamraj, the lord of death.
Moved by the strength of her devotion, Yamraj punished the crocodile and blessed her husband with a long life. Like Savitri, who won back Satyavan's life from Yamraj, Karwa's story celebrates the power of a wife's devotion, and the vrat carries her name.
Why Shiv–Parvati
Why Maa Parvati and Lord Shiva are worshipped
Maa Parvati performed long penance to win Lord Shiva as her husband, and their union is the ideal of a devoted, lifelong marriage. On Karwa Chauth women worship Maa Gauri for akhand saubhagya, an unbroken married life, and offer her suhag shringar: chunri, bindi, sindoor and bangles.
Many couples now keep the day together, and some husbands fast too. A pujan in both names, with a sankalp for the couple's long and happy life together, is a beautiful way to mark it.
How the day is kept
Karwa Chauth puja vidhi
Sargi before sunrise
Fruit, sweets and dry fruit from the mother-in-law, eaten before dawn. The vrat begins after it.
Nirjala vrat
No food or water through the day, with the Mother's name in the heart.
Evening pujan
Worship of Shiv–Parvati, Ganesh ji and Chauth Mata with a karwa filled with water, and the vrat katha.
Suhag shringar
Shringar is offered to Maa Gauri, and women dress in their bridal finery.
Moonrise
The moon is seen through a sieve and offered arghya from the karwa; then the husband's face is seen.
Breaking the fast
The husband offers the first sip of water and the first bite, and the vrat is complete.
करवा चौथ · दांपत्य मंगल पूजन
How PavitraOne offers Karwa Chauth Shiv–Parvati Pujan in your name
On Karwa Chauth, a pandit ji performs Shiv–Parvati pujan in the Vaishno Devi area, Katra, with a sankalp in the names of husband and wife for a long and happy married life. It is an offering made on your behalf, alongside your own vrat and puja at home.
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Book with both names
Choose a plan, enter the wife's and husband's names, and pay securely.
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Sankalp on Karwa Chauth
On 29 Oct a pandit ji takes the sankalp in both your names.
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Shiv–Parvati pujan
The pujan is performed, with suhag shringar for Maa Parvati if your plan has it.
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Video on WhatsApp
Your pujan video and completion update follow, normally within 48 hours. Sampoorna prasad is posted after.
Questions devotees ask
Frequently asked questions
When is Karwa Chauth in 2026?
Thursday, 29 October 2026. The fast ends after moonrise, so check the moonrise time for your city.
Why is the moon seen through a sieve?
Tradition holds that the sieve's many holes multiply the moon's blessings. It also recalls the katha of Veeravati, whose fast was broken by a false moon.
Which gods are worshipped on Karwa Chauth?
Maa Gauri (Parvati), Lord Shiva, Ganesh ji, Kartikeya and Chauth Mata, along with the moon, Chandra Dev.
Can a pujan be done in our names if we are away?
Yes. With PavitraOne's Karwa Chauth pujan a pandit ji performs Shiv–Parvati pujan in the Vaishno Devi area, Katra, with a sankalp in the husband's and wife's names, and you receive a video on WhatsApp. It is offered alongside your own vrat and puja at home.
Karwa Chauth pujan in both your names
Shiv–Parvati pujan with a sankalp for husband and wife · Thursday, 29 October · video on WhatsApp
These stories are based on traditional texts and popular belief; their tellings can differ from region to region.