The Hindu festival of Karwa Chauth — when wives observe fast for the longevity and health of their husbands — will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 4 this year. Karwa Chauth is predominantly celebrated in the north Indian states by married women. However, some unmarried women also observe this fast in a hope that they will find a suitable husband.
It is also called Karaka Chaturthi and Hindu Goddess Parvati and Goddess Chauth are worshipped on the day. The festival falls on the fourth day after Purnima (full moon night). Women generally wear new clothes on this day and their finest jewellery. Applying henna to hands and make-up is also considered essential by women celebrating the festival.
They usually gather together and sing devotional songs and listen to folk tales. Wives break open their fast when the moon is sighted in the sky. There is a puja that needs to be done for breaking the Karwa Chauth fast.
Although traditionally, wives fast for their husbands, in modern times, husbands also keep Karwa Chauth fast for their wives.
The fast of this festival is considered to be one of the most difficult fasts. It is a ‘nirjala’ fast where fasting women are not allowed to even consume water. Karwa Chauth fast is usually 14 hours long.
The fast starts at the prescribed time in the morning and can only be opened once the moon is seen in the sky. The timings for fast in some of the major Indian cities on November 4 are as follows:
Delhi — 06:35 am to 08:12 pm
Pune — 06:36 am to 08:49 pm
Noida — 06:35 am to 08:12 pm
Kolkata — 05:43 am to 07:40 pm
Jaipur — 06:39 am to 08:22 pm
Mumbai — 06:40 am to 08:52 pm
Chennai — 06:04 am to 08:33 pm
Chandigarh — 06:40 am to 08:09 pm
Gurgaon — 06:36 am to 08:13 pm
Bengaluru — 06:14 am to 08:44 pm
Hyderabad — 06:16 am to 08:32 pm
Ahmedabad — 06:46 am to 08:44 pm