🌙 Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha
The story
Long ago a merchant had seven sons and one daughter, Veeravati. After her marriage she was at her parents' home on her first Karwa Chauth. The beloved sister kept the waterless fast all day, but by evening she began to faint from hunger and thirst.
The brothers could not bear to see her suffer. They lit a lamp behind a peepal tree, placed a sieve before it and told her, 'Look, the moon has risen — offer your arghya.' Veeravati offered arghya to the false moon and broke her fast.
In the first morsel she found a hair, at the second she sneezed, and at the third a message came from her in-laws that her husband had died. Weeping, she reached her marital home; her sister-in-law explained that her broken vrat was the cause.
Veeravati did not allow the body to be cremated and kept every Chauth vrat of the year with full faith. On the next Karwa Chauth, Karwa Mata was pleased and her husband came back to life. Since then it is said — never hurry the vrat, offer arghya only to the real moon.
In another katha, a devoted wife named Karwa saw her husband caught in a crocodile's jaws in a river; she bound the crocodile with raw thread and demanded her husband's life from Yamraj, who had to yield before her tapasya. Both stories teach the same thing — a woman's faith and resolve hold great power.
Why this katha — the significance
Karwa means a small earthen pot with a spout and Chauth means the fourth tithi. On this day Lord Ganesha, Shiva-Parvati, Kartikeya and the Moon are worshipped. It is believed that a woman who keeps this fast with faith secures a long life for her husband and lasting love in the marriage.
The fast lasts from sunrise to moonrise — which is why the Delhi moonrise time is shown on this page. If clouds hide the moon, offer arghya facing the moon's direction after the moonrise time; many families in that situation remember the moon on Lord Shiva's forehead and break the fast.
How the katha is heard
- Hear or read the katha after the puja, before the aarti — the whole family sits together.
- The one keeping the vrat should listen with a calm mind; keep a lamp lit and a little akshat-flowers in hand.
- At the end, offer the flowers at the deity's feet and bow; share the prasad with everyone.
📿 Karwa Chauth puja vidhi (step by step) →
Frequently asked questions
When is Karwa Chauth in {Y}?
The date shown at the top is this year's exact date — Kartik Krishna Chaturthi, computed with Swiss Ephemeris panchang calculations. The Delhi moonrise time is shown alongside.
What time will the moon rise on Karwa Chauth?
See 'Moonrise' above for Delhi. In eastern cities (Lucknow, Patna) the moon rises a few minutes earlier and in western cities (Jaipur, Mumbai) a few minutes later — check your city's panchang page.
What if the moon is not visible?
After the moonrise time, face the moon's direction (east) and offer arghya, remembering the moon on Lord Shiva's forehead. Many families in this situation offer arghya to the Tulsi plant or a temple shikhar and break the fast.
Can unmarried girls keep Karwa Chauth?
Yes, unmarried girls keep it wishing for a good husband; they offer arghya to the stars instead of the moon and do not look through the sieve.
How should a pregnant or unwell woman keep the vrat?
Keep it with fruit, milk and water — the shastras allow this for the sick, pregnant and elderly. Listening to the katha with faith and offering the moon arghya is what matters most.
What should sargi contain?
Pheni or vermicelli, mathri, halwa, fruit, dry fruits, coconut and water — light and sweet, so that you feel less thirsty through the day. Avoid very salty or spicy food.
🏠 Karwa Chauth 2026 — date, muhurat, full page · All vrat & festivals