Karwa Chauth 2023: Date, moonrise timing, significance and rituals

With the festival of Karwa Chauth 2023 approaching, we share its date, shubh muhurat and other details you must know. Read on to find the details of the day

In India, the festival of Karwa Chauth holds a significant amount of importance for married women. On this auspicious day, married women dress up in beautiful sarees, perform pujas and offer prayers to the gods. This year, Karwa Chauth is going to be observed on 1 November. 
  
For this festival, married women across the country hold one of the most challenging nirjala vrat or fast by going one whole day without eating any food or having a single drop of water. Married women break their fast only after sighting the moon in the evening. Going by the tradition, the husbands break their wives' fast by feeding them a glass of water and a morsel of food. Unmarried women too observe a fast and pray for a good husband and a happy married life. 

Besides observing a fast, women also offer prayers to Karwa mata, lord Ganesh, lord Shiva, goddess Parvati and lord Katikeya for prosperity, safety and the long life of their husbands. 

As the name goes, Karwa means earthen pots and Chauth means the fourth day. During the festival, married women also buy new earthen pots, decorate them with attractive designs and put sweets and bangles inside as a part of the festival’s traditions. 
  
Karwa Chauth 2023 date and muhurat time 
According to the Hindu calendar, Karwa Chauth falls on Krishna Paksha Chaturthi in Kartik month. Shubh muhurat for the day will begin at 6:36 am and end at 8:26 pm. The puja muhurat will be between 5:44 pm to 7:02 pm. The moon is said to appear at 8:26 pm on 1 November.  
  
Rituals and significance 
On this day, women observing the fast wake up early, take a bath, have a meal called Sargi before sunrise and begin with their nirjala vrat (fast) for the entire day. After sighting the moon, women also see their husbands through a sieve, offer prayers to the moon and break their fast. For the puja, women wear traditional outfits - usually, red sarees, apply mehendi and wear ornaments and other adornments that are traditional symbols of a married woman (like sindoor, bangles, bindi etc). 

Though a national festival, Karwa Chauth is widely celebrated in the northern parts of India, including Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Also Read: Raksha Bandhan 2023: Easy guide to buying the perfect rakhi for your brother

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