Karwa Chauth 2019: All you need to know about date, timing, and rituals

An Indian Hindu wife looks at the moon through a sieve as she performs rituals during the 'Karwa Chauth' festival in New Delhi. All Pictures/AFP

The Hindu festival Karwa Chauth is a festival celebrated by women in North India. It is an annual one-day festival, where married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. Besides Hindu women, the Karwa Chauth festival is also celebrated by some Sikh women. The festival of Karwa Chauth is celebrated across the northern states of India including states such as Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.

Karwa Chauth 2019 Date and Timings

This year, the Hindu festival of Karwa Chauth will be celebrated on October 17, which falls on the fourth day after the full moon. Besides married women, even unmarried Hindu women observe fast for their fiances or future husbands by observing the Larwa Chauth fast on the occasion of Karwa Chauth. This year, the festival of Karwa Chauth will be celebrated on October 17, 2019, which falls on a Thursday. In the meanwhile, the Karwa Chauth puja timing depends on the timing of the moonrise. Hence, the timings of Karwa Chauth will differ as in different cities across India.

A wife looks at her husband through a sieve as she performs the Karwa Chauth rituals

Shopping for Karwa Chauth:

The shopping preps for the Karva Chauth festival starts a few days before the Hindu festival begins. Women who observe the festival buy beautiful ethnic attires such as saree, lehenga or salwar suits. The women also buy singhar items such as beauty and makeup products, jewelry, etc. Women also apply Heena (Mehndi) on their hand a few days before the festival of Karwar Chaith. As per the Hindu traditions, mehndi or Heena is considered auspicious as it symbolises prosperity and good luck.

Karwa Chauth Sargi

On the occasion of Karwa Chauth, married women have Sargi, which is an early morning meal before starting their Karva Chauth fast. Sargi includes an earthen pot or Karva consisting of some food (fruits, dry fruits, some sweets, snacks, etc.) which is supposed to be eaten before the sunrise. As per the Hindu traditions, all married women receive Sargi from their mothers-in-law.

On the occasion of Karwa Chauth day, married women wear beautiful ethnic attires mostly sarees and also accessorise their outfits with pieces of jewelry such as bangles, earrings, necklaces, etc.

A wife looks at the moon through a sieve as she performs rituals during the 'Karwa Chauth' festival in New Delhi

Karva Chauth Puja

On the occasion of Karwa Chauth, all married women gather in a group during the evening for the traditional Karwa Chauth Katha. After the katha and puja service is over when the moon rises, the wife takes a glimpse of the moon through a Karva Chauth Channi or sieve, Post which she takes a glimpse of her husband through the sieve again.

Following this, the husband feeds his wife, who has been observing fast throughout the day by feeding her with some fruits or sweets along with water in order to break the Karva Chauth fast. In the end, the husband offers his wife some Karva Chauth gifts as a token of love and appreciation.

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