Karva Chauth 2023: Date, Vrat Katha, & Puja Muhurat

Karva Chauth Vrat is celebrated on the fourth day of the dark half in the Hindu Lunar month of Kartik. On this day, married women keep fast to ensure that the divine blesses their life-partners with a long life. In some regions of India, Karva or Karwa Chauth is also known as ‘Karak Chaturthi’. An earthen pot is used to make water offerings to the Moon on this day during the Kartik month. The festival of Karva Chauth is celebrated with immense fervour and enthusiasm all over India.

This festival is celebrated all over the country but it is more popular in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, etc. All married women observe this fast during the day for the long life of their partners. After worshipping the Moon, they have a festive meal with their partner.. This is how Karva Chauth is celebrated with an unparalleled enthusiasm and joy.

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Karwa Chauth Festival Date

According to Panchang, this year Karwa Chauth will be celebrated on November 1, 2023 (Wednesday). On this day women observe a fast and listen to the Karvachauth story and worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Karwa Chauth Puja Muhurat

Karva Chauth Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Karva Chauth Puja Muhurat: 05:36 PM to 06:54 PM

Significance of Karva Chauth Festival

Karva means earthen pot, which symbolizes prosperity and Chauth means the fourth day after the Full Moon or during the waning phase of the Moon, in the month of Kartik that falls in the month of October-November. It is observed 9 days after Dussehra and 11 days before Diwali. This day holds great importance in the life of married women. The time of this festival coincides with the initiation of the Rabi cropping season which is the wheat sowing season in these aforementioned areas.

The women of the families fill the earthen pot or Karwa with wheat grains and offer it to God praying for a great Rabi season. Women end their fasts only after seeing the Moon. Once the Moon rises in the sky, women devoutly pray and see the Moon's reflection in a plate of water, or through a sieve and offer water to the Moon. They pray for the safety, success, prosperity and long life of their partners.

Karva Chauth Vrat Story

 According to the Hindu faith, a moneylender had 7 sons and 1 daughter named Karva. On the day of the “Chauth” festival (the fourth tithi in the waning phase of the Moon during the Kartik month), the daughter Karva observed fast for her husband. At night, when everyone sat for dinner, the brothers of Karva insisted that she eat as well. But, Karva denied because the Moon had still not arisen and she could have food only after giving Arghya (offering water) to the Moon. Her brothers couldn’t see the situation of their starving sister who had not even accepted a single drop of water since dawn.

The youngest brother planned to trick her by lighting a lamp behind the leaves of a Peepal tree, giving an illusion of the Moon and convincing his sister that the Moon has come and now she can have food. She got tricked and had a bite of food. As soon as she took a bite, the news of her husband’s death came. Karva kept the body of her husband till 1 year and observed the same fasts on the “Chauth” or "Chaturthi Tithi” of the waning phase of the Moon during all months for the next one year. Next year, when Karva Chauth came again on the fourth day of the dark half in the month of Kartik, Karva kept the fast again and ensured that she completed the Karwa Chauth fast properly this time. As a result of her devotion, the Divine blessed her by bringing her husband back from the dead and infusing life into his body.

Karwa Chauth Fasting

Karva Chauth festival consists of a special meal taken by the women before dawn on the day of Karwa Chauth. The main part of the meal is Fenia (made of vermicelli). If the fast observing woman has her mother-in-law in the home, Sargi is cooked by the mother-in-law. In the evening, women get together to perform the ritual of Feri. They come along with their puja plates and sit in a circle. After that, they rotate their Thalis (plates) in the circle while reciting the Karva Chauth Vrat Katha (story).

Puja Vidhi for Karva Chauth Vrat

• Wake up early in the morning, before sunrise and clean the worship area. After that, have the Sargi if you feel that you cannot complete the fast till night without having something before sunrise.
• Then worship Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati and take the vow of keeping the fast without taking water because during the fast one cannot take anything, not even a drop of water.
• Worship the deities again in the evening.
• Now, take a plate and put dhoop (incense sticks), Chandan (sandalwood paste), Roli, Sindoor (vermillion) in it.
• The worship should begin 1 hour before the Moon sighting.
• Recite the Karva Chauth story, while worshiping the Goddess of the “Chauth or Chaturthi Tithi”.
• After Moon sighting, the daughter-in-law should take the blessings of her mother-in-law post offering her a decorated plate with sweets, fruits, dried fruits etc and receive her blessings for everlasting good luck.

We wish you a Happy Karva Chauth. May Goddess Parvati shower Her blessings on Her devotees!