In short
Karwa Chauth 2026 is Thursday, October 29 in India - but in the USA and Canada the fast falls on Wednesday, October 28. City-wise sunrise and moonrise times for 45 cities worldwide, each calculated for local moonrise instead of converted from IST, plus what to do in the UK, Europe and the Gulf, where 2026 is a borderline year.
Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Thursday, October 29 in India. If you live in the United States or Canada, your fast is on Wednesday, October 28 - a day earlier - and that is not a misprint. Karwa Chauth is kept on the day the Krishna Paksha Chaturthi tithi is running at moonrise. The tithi is a single moment worldwide: it begins at 1:07 AM IST on October 29, which is 3:37 PM on October 28 in New York, and ends at 10:11 PM IST, which is 12:41 PM on October 29 in New York. So on Wednesday evening in America the Moon rises while Chaturthi is running, and by Thursday evening it has already ended. Simply converting the Delhi moonrise into your time zone gives the wrong day and the wrong hour. Every time in this guide was calculated for each city's own sunrise and moonrise, using the same Panchang method that gives Delhi a moonrise of 8:12 PM on the 29th. You will also find what to do in the UK, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Kenya, where 2026 is a borderline year.
When Is Karwa Chauth 2026?
Karwa Chauth is observed on the Chaturthi (fourth day) of the waning Moon in the month of Kartika as counted in the Purnimanta calendar of North India - the same day is Ashwin Krishna Chaturthi in the Amanta calendar used in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It falls four days after Sharad Purnima and ten days before Diwali.
The deciding rule is Chandrodaya-vyapini Chaturthi: the fast belongs to the day on which Chaturthi is current when the Moon rises, because the fast ends with an offering to the rising Moon. That single rule is why the date can differ between countries even though the tithi itself starts and ends at the same instant everywhere.
- India, UAE, Oman, Singapore, Australia & New ZealandThursday, October 29, 2026
- USA & CanadaWednesday, October 28, 2026
- UK, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain & Kenyamost likely Thursday, October 29 - see the borderline note below
- Chaturthi tithi begins1:07 AM IST, October 29 (3:37 PM EDT / 12:37 PM PDT, October 28)
- Chaturthi tithi ends10:11 PM IST, October 29 (12:41 PM EDT / 9:41 AM PDT, October 29)
- Moonrise in New Delhi8:12 PM IST on October 29
Why Karwa Chauth Falls on October 28 in the USA and Canada
Take New York. Chaturthi begins at 3:37 PM on Wednesday, October 28. The Moon rises at 7:29 PM that evening, nearly four hours into Chaturthi, so Wednesday satisfies the rule completely. On Thursday the Moon rises at 8:31 PM, but Chaturthi ended at 12:41 PM and Panchami is running - so Thursday cannot be Karwa Chauth in New York, whatever the calendar on a relative's phone in Delhi says.
The same holds across North America. On the West Coast Chaturthi begins even earlier in the day (12:37 PM PDT on October 28), so the Wednesday moonrise is comfortably inside the tithi. Clocks in the US and Canada do not fall back until November 1, so every North American time below is still daylight time.
A tithi is one moment for the whole world. Moonrise is not. That is why the fast can move to a different date abroad - and why converting an Indian moonrise time never works.
Karwa Chauth 2026 Moonrise Time in the USA (Wednesday, October 28)
Times are local daylight time for each city. The fast runs from sunrise to moonrise; Sargi is eaten before sunrise. Allow a few extra minutes for the Moon to clear buildings or trees on your horizon.
- New YorkWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:21 AM, moonrise 7:29 PM
- New Jersey (Edison)Wednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:23 AM, moonrise 7:32 PM
- AtlantaWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:53 AM, moonrise 8:38 PM
- ChicagoWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:18 AM, moonrise 7:21 PM
- HoustonWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:32 AM, moonrise 8:36 PM
- DallasWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:41 AM, moonrise 8:33 PM
- San Francisco Bay AreaWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:28 AM, moonrise 8:02 PM
- Los AngelesWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:09 AM, moonrise 7:58 PM
- SeattleWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:47 AM, moonrise 7:17 PM
Karwa Chauth 2026 Moonrise Time in Canada (Wednesday, October 28)
Canada follows the same Wednesday date as the US. Times are local daylight time.
- Toronto & BramptonWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:49 AM, moonrise 7:40 PM
- MontrealWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:28 AM, moonrise 7:05 PM
- CalgaryWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 8:22 AM, moonrise 7:21 PM
- Vancouver & SurreyWednesday, October 28 - fast from sunrise 7:53 AM, moonrise 7:09 PM
Karwa Chauth 2026 Moonrise Time in India (Thursday, October 29)
In India Chaturthi covers the whole of the daytime fast and is still running at moonrise in every city, so Thursday, October 29 is unambiguous.
- New DelhiThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:30 AM, moonrise 8:12 PM
- MumbaiThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:37 AM, moonrise 8:56 PM
- AhmedabadThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:42 AM, moonrise 8:47 PM
- BengaluruThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:12 AM, moonrise 8:51 PM
- KolkataThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 5:39 AM, moonrise 7:42 PM
UAE, Oman, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia & New Zealand (Thursday, October 29)
East of India, Chaturthi starts later in the local day and runs past moonrise, so these countries keep the same Thursday date as India. In Australia and New Zealand the Moon rises late at night, which makes for a long fast - plan Sargi and hydration the evening before accordingly.
- DubaiThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:24 AM, moonrise 8:23 PM
- Abu DhabiThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:27 AM, moonrise 8:29 PM
- MuscatThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:10 AM, moonrise 8:15 PM
- SingaporeThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:46 AM, moonrise 9:57 PM
- Kuala LumpurThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:56 AM, moonrise 10:02 PM
- SydneyThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 5:58 AM, moonrise 11:09 PM
- MelbourneThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:17 AM, moonrise 11:49 PM
- BrisbaneThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 4:59 AM, moonrise 9:41 PM
- PerthThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 5:22 AM, moonrise 10:30 PM
- AucklandThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:19 AM, moonrise 11:41 PM
- WellingtonThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:12 AM, moonrise 11:59 PM
UK, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain & Kenya: A Borderline Year
Here the tithi and the Moon miss each other. On Wednesday the Moon rises before Chaturthi begins (7:37 PM in London, 8:37 PM in Berlin, 10:37 PM in Riyadh). On Thursday Chaturthi ends before moonrise in the UK, Europe, Riyadh, Jeddah and Nairobi, and within a minute or two of moonrise in Doha, Manama and Kuwait City - too close to call. Neither evening cleanly satisfies the moonrise rule.
The usual fallback in such years is the day on which Chaturthi governs the daytime fast - Thursday, October 29, the same date as India. Because mandirs in the UK, Europe and the Gulf can differ on this edge case, confirm with your local temple or family priest. The list gives Thursday's times with Wednesday's moonrise alongside, so you are covered either way.
- LondonThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:48 AM, moonrise 6:22 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 5:26 PM)
- LeicesterThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:55 AM, moonrise 6:17 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 5:22 PM)
- BirminghamThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:58 AM, moonrise 6:22 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 5:26 PM)
- DublinThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 7:17 AM, moonrise 6:33 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 5:38 PM)
- AmsterdamThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 7:30 AM, moonrise 6:54 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 5:59 PM)
- BerlinThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:56 AM, moonrise 6:17 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 5:23 PM)
- DohaThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 5:39 AM, moonrise 7:39 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 6:37 PM)
- ManamaThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 5:44 AM, moonrise 7:40 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 6:38 PM)
- Kuwait CityThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 5:58 AM, moonrise 7:42 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 6:40 PM)
- RiyadhThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 5:58 AM, moonrise 8:00 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 6:59 PM)
- JeddahThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:24 AM, moonrise 8:40 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 7:38 PM)
- NairobiThursday, October 29 - fast from sunrise 6:11 AM, moonrise 9:43 PM (Wednesday's moonrise: 8:38 PM)
Sargi, the Fast and the Evening Puja: How to Time Your Day
Sargi - traditionally prepared by the mother-in-law - is eaten before sunrise, so set your alarm by the sunrise time for your city rather than by a fixed hour. The Nirjala fast, without food or water, runs from sunrise until you have offered arghya to the Moon. Those who are pregnant, unwell or on medication commonly keep a lighter fast with water or fruit; follow your doctor's advice first.
The Karwa Mata puja and katha are performed in the evening, after sunset and before moonrise, ideally with other women of the family or community - many mandirs abroad hold a group puja on the date they announce. At moonrise, offer water to the Moon from the karwa, view the Moon through the channi (sieve) and then your husband's face, and break the fast with water and a sweet from his hand.
- Before sunriseSargi - fruit, dry fruit, mathri, pheni or kheer, plus plenty of water
- Sunrise to moonriseNirjala fast; avoid strenuous work if you can
- After sunsetKarwa Mata puja, katha, exchange of karwas
- At moonriseArghya to the Moon, channi darshan, break the fast
- Cloudy skytraditions differ - many families offer arghya facing east once the calculated moonrise time for their city has passed
The Astrology Behind Karwa Chauth
In Jyotish the Moon is the karaka of the mind and of emotional bonds, and Chaturthi is the tithi of Ganesha, the remover of obstacles - so the fast joins a prayer for a husband's long life with steadiness of mind in the marriage itself. That is also why the rising Moon, rather than the Sun, ends the vrat.
In a birth chart, married life is read from the 7th house and its lord, Venus as the significator of partnership, Jupiter in a woman's chart as the significator of the husband, and the Navamsha (D9) for the inner quality of the union. When the Moon is afflicted - for example combined with Rahu or Saturn, or placed in the 6th, 8th or 12th house - emotional strain can show up in relationships, and Monday fasting, Chandra mantra and charity of white items on Mondays are the classical supports. A personal reading looks at both charts together rather than at the Moon alone.
The takeaway
If you are in the USA or Canada, keep Karwa Chauth on Wednesday, October 28; in India, the UAE, Oman, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand it is Thursday, October 29; in the UK, Europe and most of the Gulf it is a borderline year where Thursday is the usual choice, but your local mandir has the final word. Whatever your date, use the moonrise time calculated for your own city - not a converted Indian time. And if you would like to look at your marriage through both charts, a consultation can be booked from anywhere in the world in your own time zone.
