Karaka Chaturthi 2026 is on Thursday, 29 October 2026. Karaka Chaturthi is the Sanskrit name of Karva Chauth: karaka means the water pot (karva) and chaturthi the fourth lunar day. Married women fast from sunrise and break the fast after offering arghya to the moon. The moon rises later in South India than in Delhi: about 8:36 PM in Hyderabad, 8:51 PM in Bengaluru and 8:39 PM in Chennai, against about 8:12 PM in New Delhi.
Moonrise on Karaka Chaturthi 2026, by city
| City | Sunset | Moonrise (29 Oct) |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | 5:38 PM | 8:12 PM |
| Visakhapatnam | 5:26 PM | 8:16 PM |
| Vijayawada | 5:38 PM | 8:29 PM |
| Warangal | 5:41 PM | 8:30 PM |
| Hyderabad | 5:46 PM | 8:36 PM |
| Chennai | 5:43 PM | 8:39 PM |
| Tirupati | 5:46 PM | 8:41 PM |
| Bengaluru | 5:54 PM | 8:51 PM |
| Pune | 6:03 PM | 8:53 PM |
| Hubballi | 6:01 PM | 8:55 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:06 PM | 8:56 PM |
| Mysuru | 5:58 PM | 8:56 PM |
Times are calculated for a flat horizon at the city centre and rounded to the minute. Buildings, hills and haze mean you will usually see the moon 5 to 15 minutes later, and panchangs may print a time a few minutes different. Please keep a little margin and confirm with your local panchang.
Is Karaka Chaturthi the same as Karva Chauth?
Yes. It is the same vrat on the same day: Krishna Paksha Chaturthi in the month the North Indian calendar calls Kartik (Ashwayuja in the South Indian calendar, which counts months differently). The sankalp itself says karaka chaturthi vratam aham karishye, "I shall keep the vow of Karaka Chaturthi". In the North it is known as Karva Chauth; the name Karaka Chaturthi is used in panchangs and in much of South and West India.
Karaka Chaturthi vs Atla Taddi
Atla Taddi is a separate Telugu festival with its own customs (swings, gorintaku/mehndi, and dosa-like atlu offered to Gauri). It falls on the third lunar day (tadiya) of the same fortnight, so it usually comes a day before Karaka Chaturthi. Both are kept by women for a happy married life, and both end with prayers at moonrise. Check your Telugu calendar for the Atla Taddi date this year.
How the day goes
- Before sunrise: eat the pre-dawn meal (sargi): fruit, dry fruits, sweets and water.
- Morning: bath and sankalp with water in the right hand.
- Day: the fast, traditionally without food or water; rest, mehndi and preparing the thali.
- Evening, after sunset: worship Ganesha, then Shiva and Parvati (as Karva Mata or Gauri) with the water-filled karaka; read or listen to the katha.
- Moonrise: look at the moon through a sieve, offer arghya from the karaka, then look at your husband.
- Break the fast: the first sip of water and first bite from your husband.
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or on regular medication, please speak to your doctor first. A gentler vow with water or fruit, kept with the same devotion, is widely accepted.
Full sankalp, Karva Mata prayer and the Veeravati katha in our Karva Chauth 2026 guide.
The complete Karva Chauth book
The Complete Book of Karva Chauth 2026 has the hour-by-hour plan, samagri list, sankalp, the evening puja step by step, every mantra in Sanskrit with Roman transliteration and English meaning, three vrat kathas, and the moonrise arghya. The book is in English. Instant PDF you can read on your phone during the puja, ₹299.
Three days later, mothers keep Ahoi Ashtami on 1 November. Four days earlier is Sharad Purnima (25 October).
Frequently asked questions
When is Karaka Chaturthi in 2026?
Thursday, 29 October 2026, the same day as Karva Chauth.
What is the moonrise time in Hyderabad on Karaka Chaturthi 2026?
About 8:36 PM on 29 October. You may see the moon a few minutes later because of buildings and haze.
What is the moonrise time in Bengaluru on Karaka Chaturthi 2026?
About 8:51 PM on 29 October. In Chennai it is about 8:39 PM and in Mumbai about 8:56 PM.
Is Karaka Chaturthi the same as Karva Chauth?
Yes. Karaka Chaturthi is the Sanskrit name of Karva Chauth; karaka means the water pot used in the puja.
Is Atla Taddi the same as Karaka Chaturthi?
No. Atla Taddi is a separate Telugu festival on the third lunar day of the same fortnight, usually a day before Karaka Chaturthi.
Customs vary between families and regions; where yours differ, follow your family's tradition. Moonrise times are calculated estimates; this article is general guidance, not medical advice.