Daily Puja
Karak Chaturthi · Kartik Krishna Chaturthi
2026
A day of fasting, faith and loving prayer — from the first light of dawn until the moon rises.
About the Festival
Karwa Chauth — also called Karak Chaturthi — is a sacred vrat observed on the fourth day of the waning moon (Krishna Paksha) in the month of Kartik.
On this day, married women keep a nirjala fast — without food or even water — from sunrise until the moon appears, praying for the long life, health and wellbeing of their husbands and families. The evening brings the Karwa Chauth katha, worship of Mata Parvati and Lord Shiva, and an offering of water (arghya) to the moon before the fast is broken.
A note on the date
In India, Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Thursday, October 29. Because the Chaturthi tithi is present at moonrise one evening earlier in North American time zones, panchangs for the United States — including Apex and Cary — observe it on Wednesday, October 28.
The Name
Karwa
Earthen pot
The small clay vessel from which water is offered to the moon.
Chauth
The fourth
The fourth lunar day after Sharad Purnima, in the month of Kartik.
Nirjala
Without water
A complete fast kept from sunrise until moonrise.
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Why It Is Celebrated
Several stories from the Puranas and the epics are recited at the evening puja. Each teaches the same truth: faith, sincerity and selfless love invoke divine protection.
I
The best-known katha tells of Veeravati, the only sister of seven loving brothers. Unable to watch her suffer on her first Karwa Chauth, they made a false moon with a lamp glowing behind the trees. She broke her fast early and soon received news that her husband had died. Through sincere repentance and by keeping the vrat faithfully, she received the grace of Mata Parvati and her husband’s life was restored — a reminder that true devotion has no shortcuts.
II
A devoted wife named Karva saw her husband seized by a crocodile as he bathed in the river. By the power of her devotion she bound the crocodile and appealed to Yama, the lord of death, who returned her husband to her. The vrat carries her name, and women still pray to Karva Mata for the protection of their families.
III
When Yama came for the soul of her husband Satyavan, Savitri gave up food and water and followed him without turning back. Moved by her steadfastness, Yama offered her boons — and through her wisdom and unwavering faith she won Satyavan’s return to life.
IV
While Arjuna was away in penance and the Pandavas faced great hardship, Draupadi turned to Shri Krishna for guidance. He told her how Mata Parvati herself had kept this very vrat. Draupadi observed it with full faith, and the Pandavas overcame their troubles.
Spiritual Significance
A tapasya offered out of love. Setting aside food and water for a day places another’s wellbeing above one’s own comfort — devotion in action.
Mata Parvati, who won Lord Shiva through steadfast austerity, is worshipped with the divine family — seeking the same harmony and grace at home.
The moon is honoured as a giver of peace, coolness and long life. Arghya from the karwa, and the moon seen through a sieve, complete the day’s prayer.
Sargi from a mother-in-law, exchanging karwas and hearing the katha together strengthen bonds across generations — with roots in an ancient harvest prayer.
From Dawn to Moonrise
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Timings are from Drik Panchang for Cary, NC, and apply across the Apex area.
Please note
The moon may appear a little after the calculated time because of clouds or trees. Those who are unwell, pregnant or elderly may keep a gentler vrat — the heart’s devotion matters more than hardship.
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Before 7:34 AM · Sargi
Before sunrise, women take sargi — a light, sattvik meal of fruits, dry fruits, sweets and milk, traditionally prepared with love by the mother-in-law along with items of shringar.
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7:34 AM – Moonrise · Nirjala Vrat
No food or water is taken through the day. Women adorn their hands with mehendi, dress in festive red or bridal attire, and spend the day in prayer, kirtan and remembrance of God.
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6:24 – 7:43 PM · Puja Muhurat
Women gather with decorated thalis, the karwa and a diya to worship Mata Parvati and the divine family, listen to the Karwa Chauth katha, and pass their thalis around the circle with traditional songs.
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8:13 PM · Moonrise
Water is offered to the rising moon from the karwa. The moon is viewed through a sieve, then the husband’s face, and the fast is broken with a first sip of water and a sweet offered by him.
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Visit the Temple
Radha Krishna Temple of North Carolina welcomes every devotee for darshan and prayer this Karwa Chauth.
23 Radhika Way · Apex, NC