October 19 marks Karva Chauth (Karwa Chauth), a day when married Indian women observe fast for their husband's safety and longevity. On this day, women begin the fast before sunrise and end it after sighting the moon at night.
Karva Chauth, a Hindu festival celebrated mostly in the northern parts of India, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, falls on the fourth day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. Karva means clay pot and Chauth means fourth, a Hindi reference of the fourth day of the month of Kartik.
The centuries-old tradition, which is observed after the autumn harvest, is celebrated with fervour. Married women, as well as many unmarried girls, observe fast on this day. They start the day by eating sargi, a pre-dawn meal given by the mother-in-law to their daughter-in-law, before the sunrise and observe fast until the moonrise without even drinking a glass of water. It is also customary for the women to apply Mehendi (henna) on the eve of Karva Chauth.
For the puja, women wear bright and colourful traditional clothes. Several women also exchange clay pots filled with sweets, bangles, clothes and makeup on the day of Karva Chauth.
This year, the day of fasting is marked on October 19 and the auspicious time for Karva Chauth puja is from 5:46 pm to 6:50 pm. Women break the fast after offering prayers to the moon after the moonrise. Below is the list of moonrise timings in different states of India:
Moonrise time in New Delhi – 8.74 pm
Moonrise time in Punjab – 8:49 pm
Moonrise time in Mumbai – 9:21 pm
Moonrise time in Bihar – 8.17 pm
Moonrise time in Bhopal – 8.54 pm
Moonrise time in Gujarat – 8.22 pm
Moonrise time in Uttar Pradesh – 8:35 pm
Moonrise time in Rajasthan – 8:56 pm
Moonrise time in Himachal Pradesh – 8:43 pm
Moonrise time in Haryana – 8:48 pm
Moonrise time in Bengaluru – 9:09 pm
Moonrise time in Kolkata – 8:11 pm
