# Karwa Chauth Puja Vidhi: Step by Step, with the Mantras to Say

> A gentle step-by-step Karwa Chauth guide for 2026: sargi, the evening puja, the story, offering water to the moon, and the mantras to say.

- **Published:** 2026-10-09
- **Author:** Mahakatha
- **Category:** festivals
- **Canonical URL:** https://mahakatha.com/blog/karwa-chauth-puja-vidhi/

Karwa Chauth is a day of quiet strength. From before sunrise until the moon comes up, many married women keep a fast for their husband's wellbeing and long life. In the evening they gather, dressed in their finest, to pray to Gauri (Parvati) and her family, and to hear the old story of the day. Then everyone waits for the moon.

If this is your first Karwa Chauth, or you're doing the puja on your own this year, this guide is for you. We'll walk through the day gently: the morning, the evening puja, the moon, and the mantras you can say along the way. Each mantra link opens its full lyrics, meaning and our recording, so you can listen and chant along.

Karwa Chauth is kept differently in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and beyond, and every family has its own small customs. Please treat this as a simple outline, and follow your family's way wherever it differs.

## Karwa Chauth 2026 date

In 2026, Karwa Chauth falls on **Thursday, 29 October**. It's kept on the fourth day (Chaturthi) after the full moon in the month of Kartik.

The fast usually ends at moonrise, which in north India is expected at around 8 pm that evening. Moonrise changes from city to city by several minutes or more, so please check a local panchang or moonrise time for your own city on the day.

- [October 2026 festival calendar, New Delhi (Drik Panchang)](https://www.drikpanchang.com/calendars/hindu/hinducalendar.html?date=01/10/2026)

## The shape of the day

Here's the whole day at a glance. We'll go through each part below.

- **Before sunrise:** sargi, a small meal, then the fast begins.
- **During the day:** a quiet fast, rest, and getting ready. Many women apply mehndi the day before.
- **Evening:** the Karwa Chauth puja, often with other women, and the katha (story).
- **Moonrise:** the moon is seen through a sieve, water is offered to it, and the fast is opened.

## Before sunrise: sargi and the sankalp

In many Punjabi families, the mother-in-law gives her daughter-in-law a plate called sargi, to be eaten before dawn. It might hold fruit, dry fruits, sweets, mathri, or a light meal. In other families, you simply eat something light before sunrise.

After sargi, many women take a small sankalp, a promise for the day. You can say it in your own words: who you are, that you are keeping the Karwa Chauth fast, and who you are keeping it for. Some families use a traditional Sanskrit sankalp. A commonly used one is:

मम सुखसौभाग्य पुत्रपौत्रादि सुस्थिर श्री प्राप्तये करक चतुर्थी व्रतमहं करिष्ये।

Mama sukhasaubhagya putrapautradi susthira shri praptaye karaka chaturthi vratamaham karishye.

In simple words: "For lasting happiness, good fortune and the wellbeing of my family, I will keep the Karaka Chaturthi fast."

This sankalp isn't on our site yet, and wording varies from family to family. Your own words are just as complete.

## During the day: a gentle word about the fast

Traditionally, the Karwa Chauth fast is nirjala, with no food or water until moonrise. Many women keep it that way. Others take water, milk or fruit, especially if their health needs it.

Please be kind to your body. If you are pregnant, diabetic, on regular medicine, or unwell, talk to your doctor first and choose a version of the fast that is safe for you. The tradition has always made room for this. The devotion you bring doesn't depend on how strict the fast is.

Through the day, rest when you can. Some women like to listen to a soft Gauri or Shiva chant while getting ready. It can make the hours feel calmer.

## Karwa Chauth puja samagri

- A karwa: a small clay or metal pot with a spout. Many families keep two, one for themselves and one to give away.
- Water, or whatever your family fills the karwa with. Depending on the region, this may be water, milk, wheat or rice grains, or sweets.
- A picture of Gauri (Karwa Mata or Chauth Mata), often shown with Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Some families make a small Gauri from clay or cow dung.
- A puja thali with a diya, roli or kumkum, rice (akshat), a little sindoor, flowers and incense.
- Sweets, fruit and mathri for the offering.
- A lota (small pot) of water for the moon.
- A chhalni (sieve) for seeing the moon.
- In some families, a baya: a gift of clothes, sweets or shringar from the bride's family to her mother-in-law.
Every family's list is a little different. If yours is different, follow yours.

## Karwa Chauth puja vidhi, step by step

The evening puja is often done together with other women, in a home, temple or community hall. You can also do it alone at home. Both are part of the tradition.

1. **Get ready.** Bathe and dress in festive clothes. Many women wear red or another bright colour, with bangles, sindoor and mehndi.
1. **Set up the place of worship.** Place the picture of Gauri on a clean cloth. Set the karwa beside it, filled as your family does, with a lid. Draw a small swastika or a few lines of roli on the karwa if that is your custom.
1. **Begin with Ganesha.** Light the diya and say a short Ganesha prayer, such as [Om Shree Ganeshaya Namah](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/ganesha/om-shree-ganeshaya/).
1. **Pray to Gauri, Shiva and their family.** Offer roli, rice, flowers and sweets to Gauri, Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya. The mantras in the next section can go here.
1. **Listen to the katha.** One woman, often an older one, tells the Karwa Chauth story while the others listen.
1. **Pass the thalis.** In many Punjabi gatherings, the women sit in a circle and pass their thalis around seven times while singing a traditional Karwa Chauth song. In Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh the song and the custom are a little different.
1. **Give the karwa.** Many women give a karwa and the baya to their mother-in-law, or to an older married woman, and touch her feet for blessings.
1. **Wait for the moon.** Keep the lota of water, the sieve, the diya and a few sweets ready.

## The story of Karwa Chauth, in short

There are several Karwa Chauth stories. The best known is about Queen Veeravati. She was the only sister of seven loving brothers. On her first Karwa Chauth, she grew so weak from fasting that her brothers could not bear it. They lit a fire behind a tree and held up a sieve, so that it looked like the moon had risen. She broke her fast early, and soon heard that her husband had fallen gravely ill.

Heartbroken, she kept the fast faithfully, with full devotion, until the next Karwa Chauth. Moved by her faith, the Goddess restored her husband to her.

Many families also tell the story of Karwa, a devoted wife who saved her husband from a crocodile through the strength of her prayer. Each version carries the same thread: love that is patient, faithful and brave.

## Mantras for the Karwa Chauth puja

You don't need to say all of these. Choose one or two that feel close to you, and say them slowly, with attention. The words below match our mantra pages, where you'll also find the meaning and our recording.

### For Shiva and Parvati together

Om Uma Maheshwaraabhyaam Namah

ॐ उमा महेश्वराभ्याम् नमः

A short, simple bow to Uma (Parvati) and Maheshwara (Shiva) as a couple. It suits the day beautifully. [Shiva Parvati Mantra: meaning and audio](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/shiva/shiva-parvati-mantra/)

### For Gauri

Sarva Mangala Maangalye, Shive Sarvartha Sadhike, Sharanye Tryambake Gauri, Narayani Namosthute

सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

This verse calls on the Goddess as Gauri, the auspicious one, the refuge of all. [Sarvamangala Maangalye: meaning and audio](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/devi/sarvamangala-maangalye/)

For a longer hymn to Parvati, you might listen to the [Parvati Panchakam](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/parvati/parvati-panchakam/), or read more about her on our [Parvati page](https://mahakatha.com/deities/parvati/).

### For Ganesha and Kartikeya

- [Om Shree Ganeshaya Namah](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/ganesha/om-shree-ganeshaya/) for Ganesha
- [Om Saravanabhavaya Namah](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/subramanya/om-saravanabhavaya-namah/) for Kartikeya (Murugan)

### A traditional Gauri prayer for Karwa Chauth

Many families say this verse to Gauri during the puja:

नमः शिवायै शर्वाण्यै सौभाग्यं संतति शुभाम्। प्रयच्छ भक्तियुक्तानां नारीणां हरवल्लभे॥

Namah Shivayai Sharvanyai Saubhagyam Santati Shubham, Prayaccha Bhaktiyuktanam Narinam Haravallabhe.

In simple words: "Salutations to you, beloved of Shiva. Please bless the women who worship you with devotion with good fortune and a happy family."

This verse isn't on our site yet.

### When you offer water to the moon

The moon, Chandra, is honoured at the end of the day. As you offer water from the lota, you can say the Chandra mantra:

Om Shraam Shreem Shrom Sah Chandraaye Namah

ॐ श्राम् श्रीम् श्रौं सः चन्द्राय नमः।

[Chandra Mantra: meaning and audio](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/navagraha/chandra-navagraha-mantra/)

## At moonrise: opening the fast

1. When the moon rises, go outside or to a window where you can see it.
1. Look at the moon through the chhalni (sieve), often with the diya placed in it or beside it.
1. Offer water to the moon from the lota, slowly, and say your prayer or the Chandra mantra.
1. Then look at your husband through the same sieve.
1. Your husband offers you the first sip of water and the first bite of food, and the fast is complete.
1. Many women touch their husband's feet, or the couple bow to each other, and then share the meal.
If clouds hide the moon, families do different things. Some wait, some look towards where the moon should be, and some follow the time given in the panchang. Ask an elder in your family what you'd like to do.

## Questions people often ask

### Can I do the Karwa Chauth puja alone?

Yes. Many women do the puja at home on their own, especially if they live away from family. Light a lamp, pray to Gauri and Ganesha, read or listen to the katha, and offer water to the moon. It is just as complete.

### What should I say when offering water to the moon?

Say a simple prayer in your own words, or the Chandra mantra above. Many women also silently pray for their husband's wellbeing as they pour.

### What is filled in the karwa?

It depends on your region and family. Water is the most common. Some fill it with milk, grains such as wheat or rice, or sweets.

### Can unmarried women or husbands keep the fast?

Many do. Some unmarried women keep the fast for a future partner, often in a gentler form, ending at the sight of the stars or the moon. More and more husbands fast along with their wives too. There's no single rule; it's a matter of family custom and the heart.

### Is it okay to drink water during the fast?

The traditional fast is without water, but health comes first. If you need water, fruit or milk, that's okay. Talk to your doctor if you have any health condition.

## A last thought

Karwa Chauth asks for patience: a whole day of waiting, with a quiet prayer at its centre. Whatever form your fast takes, the heart of the day is the love you hold for someone, and the steadiness you bring to it.

If you'd like a calm companion for the evening, open the [Shiva Parvati Mantra](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/shiva/shiva-parvati-mantra/) and let it play softly while you wait for the moon.

## Related mantras

- [Shiva Parvati Mantra](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/shiva/shiva-parvati-mantra/)
- [Sarvamangala Maangalye Mantra](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/devi/sarvamangala-maangalye/)
- [Parvati Panchakam](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/parvati/parvati-panchakam/)
- [Chandra Mantra](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/navagraha/chandra-navagraha-mantra/)
- [Om Shree Ganeshaya Namah Mantra](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/ganesha/om-shree-ganeshaya/)
- [Om Saravanabhavaya Namah Mantra](https://mahakatha.com/mantras/subramanya/om-saravanabhavaya-namah/)

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Source: https://mahakatha.com/blog/karwa-chauth-puja-vidhi/ — Mahakatha, https://mahakatha.com