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A day’s fast for the moon

Karva Chauth 2026

The north Indian fast married women keep from sunrise to moonrise for their husbands β€” abroad, a mehndi evening, the sargi before dawn, the bazaar the week before and a moon that rises early.

Karva Chauth 2026
Thursday, 29 October 2026
Karva Chauth 2027
Monday, 18 October 2027

Karva Chauth near you

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Karva Chauth in Canada 2026: all 6 events, dates and where to go β†’

Karva Chauth events near you

Karva Chauth in Canada β†’

Karva Chauth in the UK β†’

Karva Chauth in the US β†’

Karva Chauth in Australia β†’

What Karva Chauth is

Karva Chauth falls on the fourth day after the full moon of Kartik, eleven days before Diwali. Married women β€” and, increasingly, engaged ones and husbands too β€” keep a fast without food or water from before dawn until the moon is sighted, break it with water offered through a sieve, and dress as a bride for the day: mehndi the evening before, the sargi (a pre-dawn meal from the mother-in-law) and the karva, the clay pot, at the evening katha.

Outside India it is kept at home and, in the evening, in a temple or a hall where the community gathers for the katha and waits for the moon together; the fortnight before is the season of Karwa Chauth and Diwali bazaars β€” mehndi, bangles, suits and jewellery β€” in every Punjabi and north Indian neighbourhood. The moon rises early in a northern autumn, which shortens the fast.

Karva Chauth in Canada

Brampton and Mississauga hold the biggest Karwa Chauth bazaars in Canada β€” Brampton’s Karwachauth Bazaar and Diwali Mela at the Galaxy Grand Convention Centre (23 October 2026) among them β€” with mehndi evenings in the banquet halls and the katha at the mandirs on the day.

Karva Chauth in Canada: every event and where to go β†’

Karva Chauth in the UK

Southall, Wembley, Leicester and Birmingham’s Soho Road fill with mehndi stalls and bazaars the week before; the mandirs hold the katha in the late afternoon and the community waits for the moon outside.

Karva Chauth in the UK: every event and where to go β†’

Karva Chauth in the US

Karwa Chauth melas and mehndi nights run in New Jersey, the Bay Area, Houston, Dallas and Chicago in the weeks before Diwali; the temples hold the katha, and families gather on terraces for the moon.

Karva Chauth in the US: every event and where to go β†’

If it is your first one abroad

  • The fast ends at the sighting of the moon, not at a fixed hour β€” check the moonrise time for your city; in a northern autumn it is early evening.
  • Book mehndi for the evening before; the artists are fully booked in the fortnight before Diwali.

Karva Chauth is better with people near you

Free, in every country. Everything below is ranked by how far it is from you.

  • Groups near youJoin the Indian community groups in your city β€” chat, plans and people who get it.
  • Events near youEvery festival, garba night and meetup, ranked by distance, with RSVP and reminders.
  • Buy and sellSarees, kurtas, furniture, kitchen things β€” from people a few streets away.
  • Rent near youRooms and flats from the community, with the person behind the listing one tap away.
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Questions people ask

When is Karva Chauth in 2026?
Thursday 29 October 2026, with the moon rising in the early evening across Europe and North America. In 2027 it is Monday 18 October.
What time does the Karva Chauth moon rise?
It depends on where you are β€” early evening in Britain and northern Europe, later in the west of a time zone. The fast ends when the moon is seen, so on a cloudy evening it is kept by the published moonrise time.

Other festivals

Organising something?

Post it from the app under Events, wherever you are. It is free, a moderator checks it, and it appears here and to every member nearby. Running several a year? Email hello@namaste.community for a listing invite.