Karwa Chauth 2024: Date, Rituals, Muhurat, and Significance Explained

Karwa Chauth 2024 is just around the corner, and Hindu women, especially from North India, are preparing to celebrate this auspicious festival, which is steeped in tradition. Also known as Karaka Chaturthi or Karva Chauth, the festival involves a nirjala vrat (fast without water) observed by married women from sunrise to moonrise, praying for their husband’s long life and prosperity. Only after making an offering to the moon do they break their fast. Here’s everything you need to know about Karwa Chauth 2024, including the date, rituals, puja muhurat, vrat katha, and its significance.

Karwa Chauth 2024: Date and Timings

As per the Purnimanta calendar, Karwa Chauth is observed on the Krishna Paksha Chaturthi in the Hindu month of Kartik. In 2024, Karwa Chauth will be celebrated on Sunday, October 20.

• Chaturthi Tithi: Begins at 6:46 AM on October 20, 2024, and ends at 4:16 AM on October 21, 2024.

Karwa Chauth Shubh Muhurat and Moonrise Time

• Puja Muhurat: The auspicious time for performing the Karwa Chauth puja is between 5:46 PM to 7:02 PM (1 hour and 16 minutes).
• Moonrise Time: The expected moonrise is at 7:54 PM, though this can vary depending on the location.

Karwa Chauth Fast Rituals

Karwa Chauth begins with the pre-dawn meal known as sargi, traditionally prepared by the mother-in-law for her daughter-in-law. After this meal, women fast throughout the day, abstaining from both food and water.

Dressed in beautiful ethnic attire, women gather in the evening for the Karwa Chauth puja. Together, they recite the vrat katha—stories of Veeravati, Karwa, and Savitri, highlighting their love and sacrifice for their husbands. The fast is broken after the moon is sighted, with the husband symbolically feeding his wife the first morsel.

Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha and Significance

The term Karwa refers to earthen pots, while Chauth means the fourth day, signifying the day of observance in the month of Kartik. Karwa Chauth is particularly celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

One of the most well-known legends associated with Karwa Chauth is the story of Veeravati, a young woman deeply loved by her seven brothers. On her first Karwa Chauth, she fainted from hunger, and her brothers, concerned for her wellbeing, tricked her into breaking her fast early by mimicking the moon’s rise. As a result of breaking the fast before seeing the actual moon, Veeravati’s husband died.

Devastated, she prayed to Goddess Indrani, who told her that her mistake caused her husband’s death. The Goddess instructed her to observe a strict fast every month for a year to gain the virtue necessary to bring her husband back to life. Veeravati’s dedication and commitment to the fast ultimately restored her husband’s life.

This legend symbolizes the power of a wife’s devotion and faith in securing her husband’s well-being, highlighting the strength of love, sacrifice, and perseverance.