Karwa Chauth Moon Timing 2024: Check moonrise timing for different cities and puja muhurat

This year Karwa Chauth is being celebrated this year on October 20. Moon timings play a very significant role in the festival as the fast is broken after siting the moon. This year the moon can be seen between 19.50 hours to 21.05 hours.Karwa Chauth is celebrated mostly in Northern parts of India and is one that has forever been a symbol of deep devotion, commitment and love. Although it is primarily observed by married women, today men too are stepping up to support their wives and fast with them. But traditionally, Karwa Chauth is a day when wives used to fast from sunrise to moonrise, praying for the long life and well-being of their husbands.
The word ‘Karwa’ means an earthen pot, and ‘Chauth’ means the fourth. And to put the ‘Karwa’ in perspective, women offer ‘Argya’ to the moon using an earthen pot on the fourth day of Kartik month. Karwa Chauth is thus celebrated on the fourth day of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar, and according to the English calendar it falls anywhere between October and November.

Karwa Chauth and moonrise timings all over India differ by certain minutes and seconds. Here are the timings for your particular city.

Full list of city wise moon rise time today is available here

According to Drik Panchang, the Karwa Chauth timings for 2024 are -


In a good news for all the couples living in Delhi, and the men and women who have fasted for their significant other, the moonrise timing according to different sources has been boiled down to around 7:54 PM.

For Mumbaikars, the timing for Karwa Chauth moonrise has been estimated to be around 8:37 PM which is one of the longest among other cities.

For the men and women in Ahmedabad who have kept a fast for their significant other, the moonrise timing to break the fast has been estimated at around 8:28 PM.

The moonrise timing for Jaipur, Rajasthan, has been estimated to be around 8:05 PM, but after careful evaluation of different sources, the timing can differ between 8:05 PM to 8:12 PM.

The moonrise timing in Greater Noida is around the same time as Delhi with a different of 2-5 minutes according to different sources. An estimate timing is said to be 7:53 PM.

There are many legends, lores, and stories associated with Karwa Chauth. But one of the most famous one is of ‘Veeravati’.
An ancient legend says that Veeravati was a queen and the only sister of 7 brothers who cared deeply for her. When Veeravati got married, her first Karwa Chauth came in quickly. And so, like other women of her family, she also kept a fast from sunrise to moonrise for the long life and health of her husband. As the day went on, Veeravati grew weak due to hunger and thirst, and her brothers started getting worried. Unable to see their sister’s hunger, the brothers thought of a trick.They installed a mirror high up in the trees and then told Veeravati that the moon had come up and she could finally break her fast. And believing them, Veeravati broke her fast. Soon after that she was greeted with the news that her husband had falled terribly ill and died.

Veeravati was distraught and prayed to Mata Parvati as to what went wrong. Maa Parvati then came to her and told her that she had been tricked by her brothers and her fast on Karwa Chauth was incomplete. Realising her mistake, Veeravati kept another fast for a full day and convinced Yama to breathe life back into her husband. Once her fast was complete, her husband came back to life, and then she kept a fast on Karwa Chauth every year.
Another popular story about Karwa Chauth is about a woman named ‘Karwa’ who husband was eaten by a crocodile. Karwa was a very devoted wife, and the couple lived in complete bliss with each other. But on an unfortunate day when her husband went to bathe in the river, he was bit by a crocodile and it also attempted to eat him up. Karwa, a strong woman, tied the crocodile with a cotton thread and prayed to Lord Yama to save her husband.Impressed by her loyalty and devotion, Yamaraj agreed to give back her husband’s life and sent the crocodile to hell.
The story of Veeravati, the story of Karwa, and the story of Satyawan and Savitri, are the ones heard by women who keep the Karwa Chauth vrat. All the women sit together and hear these stories from an elderly lady or a priest.
These stories also show the extent to which a woman goes for the safety and well-being of her husband, and how true love always triumphs over destiny.

The rituals of Karwa Chauth have been the same since time immemorial. And while many think that only the Karwa Chauth fasting and looking at the moon are the things to be done, the rituals actually start early in the morning and involve the while family.

Karwa Chauth: The start with Sargi
The day of Karwa Chauth begins early for women, especially the wife and the mother-in-law. Before sunrise, the mother-in-law is supposed to prepare a meal called Sargi for herself and the daughter-in-law and usually requires help from the men as well. It is a filling meal that includes, but is not limited to fruits, dry fruits, nuts, sweets, paratha, curries, and more. Once the woman are done with the food, which has to be before sunrise, they start the fast which is Nirjala, i.e., no water or food is eaten till moonrise.
And the importance of Sargi is not just in the amount of food or the nourishment is gives the women, but also about how the mother-in-law ensures that the daughter-in-law stays healthy before she starts fasting. Many people think of this ritual as the perfect way to bond for the two women.

Karwa Chauth: The fasting starts
Women fast from sunrise to moonrise, praying for their husbands’ health, prosperity, and long life. The fast is done without consuming even a drop of water, and later in the day women dress up in their finest clothes, usually green or red in colour, adorn themselves with jewellery, which is usually gold or platinum, and also get henna applied on their hands.
Women dress like new brides, in the finest clothes and accessories, and pray for love and longlife.
Karwa Chauth: The main puja
As evening approaches, the Karwa Chauth puja becomes the focal point of the day. Women gather in a circle, sitting with their beautiful Karwas, each filled with water, and then place a small diya inside, which is seen as a symbol of light, energy, and warmth.
During the puja, a ‘Katha’ or story is narrated, usually about the tale of Veeravati or Karwa or Savitri, to show the importance of devotion and faith. Women pass the Karwas around in a circle while chanting prayers and mantras, and ask for blessings for their husbands. The puja is often performed under the guidance of an elder woman in the family or a priest.
Karwa Chauth: The moonrise and breaking the fast
The end of the day and the fast is when the moon finally rises. Women stand on the rooftop or in the balconies where they can see the open sky and catch the first glimpse of the moon. They see the moon through a chunni or a chhanni (cloth or sieve), and then with the sieve look at their husbands. This is said to be a form of asking the moon for blessings and then passing them on to their husband.
After this, the husband offers his wife her first sip of water and a morsel of food, which is usually sweet, and marks the end of her fast.
A popular notion
A popular trend among people these days is to call the festival of Karwa Chauth something that has been popularised by Bollywood. The younger generations, both men and women, believe that films and television shows depict the day as a grand romantic occasion, filled with love and devotion.
And the glorification of a traditional wife who does everything for her husband is now being questioned!
Another thing to note is that now even non-Hindu and non-North Indian families are observing and adopting the festival as a day to celebrate marital love.

But, questioning the rituals is not the only thing happening around now. In fact, as a way to please the elders and show mutual love, men too are now participating in Karwa Chauth rituals. While traditionally, the festival was about women fasting for the well-being of their husbands, modern couples see it as a mutual bond. Men fasting for their wives is like a shift in the dynamics of marriage, and both the partners are willing to contribute equally to their relationship.