Karwa Chauth 2026 city-wise moonrise timings: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru schedules & evening puja muhurat

Karwa Chauth 2026: Karwa Chauth is only two days away, so if you are fasting this year, it is worth checking your city’s moonrise time now. The festival falls on Thursday, October 29, and married women will go without food and water through the day until the Moon shows up in the evening. After that comes Chandra Puja and the breaking of the fast. The timing is not the same everywhere, so your local Panchang is a better guide than any single national schedule. In New Delhi, the Moon is expected to rise at around 8:17 PM. In Mumbai, you will be waiting until around 9:00 PM.

Here is a city-wise guide to moonrise, puja muhurat, fasting hours and what to do once the Moon is out.

Karwa Chauth 2026: Date and moonrise time

Karwa Chauth is on Thursday, October 29, 2026, and it falls on the Chaturthi Tithi of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Kartik. The fast runs from sunrise until the Moon is sighted in the evening.

For New Delhi, the fast begins at 6:31 AM and the Moon is expected to rise at 8:17 PM. The evening puja muhurat is from 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM. Since moonrise depends on where you are, check the local Panchang if you live outside the capital.

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Moonrise time in major cities (October 29, 2026)

All timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST). Check the city-wise timings here:

Puja muhurat and fasting timings

The puja is usually done before moonrise. After that come the prayers to the Moon and the rituals that close the fast.

Why does Moonrise time change from city to city?

The Moon does not appear at the same moment across the country. When it rises depends on your longitude and latitude, which is why eastern cities like Kolkata see it earlier than western ones like Mumbai. Southern cities have their own timings too.

The weather matters as well. Clouds, haze, tall buildings or a blocked horizon can delay when you actually see the Moon, even after it has technically risen.

What happens after Moonrise?

Karwa Chauth is observed for the health, well-being and long life of one’s husband. Customs vary from family to family and region to region, but the Moon-sighting in the evening is the heart of the day. The usual steps are:

1. Prepare the puja thali: Arrange a diya, a karwa filled with water, flowers, sweets, kumkum and a sieve.

2. Do the evening puja: Worship Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and other deities, as your family does.

3. Wait for the Moon: The fast continues until the Moon is visible.

4. Offer arghya: Offer water to the Moon as part of Chandra Puja.

5. Break the fast: After the Moon-sighting and prayers, break your fast in the way your family follows.

Many women also look at the Moon and then at their husbands through a sieve before completing the ritual, a custom tied to devotion and the prayers of the day.