DigiNepal · festivals
Karwa Chauth (करवा चौथ (Hindi)). Region: India (north and west), Pakistan, diaspora. Tradition: Hindu. Calendar: Lunar (Kartik krishna 4, purnimanta). Dates: North India 2026: Thursday 29 October 2026 [computed]; North India 2027: Monday 18 October 2027 [computed]; North India 2028: Saturday 7 October 2028 [computed]. History and significance: Karwa Chauth is a one day fast kept by married women in north India for the wellbeing and long life of their husbands. The fast runs from sunrise until moonrise, when women view the moon through a sieve and then their husbands before breaking the fast. The karwa, a clay pot, is exchanged as a gift. The festival has become widely known through Hindi films. Key rituals and foods: Sargi pre dawn meal, nirjala fast, evening puja and moon sighting; foods include sargi dishes, mathri and sweets. Date basis: official = matches a government gazetted holiday list; computed = calculated from the calendar system (tithi astronomy with skyfield and JPL DE421, Hijri Umm al-Qura, Chinese, Korean and Hebrew calendar libraries, or the fixed rule); expected = Umm al-Qura projection pending moon sighting. Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata (CC BY-SA, CC0) and government holiday lists, summarised in our own words.