Karwa Chauth 2025: All you need to know about the festival of love and fasting

Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: Shadab Khan/ mid-day

Karwa Chauth is an auspicious Hindu festival celebrated in North India. As per the Hindu calendar, Karwa Chauth is observed on the Chathurti Tithi of Krishna Paksha during the Kartik month. This year, it falls on Friday, October 10.

Karwa Chauth celebrates the love of a husband and wife and commemorates the concept and sanctity of marriage.

The day is marked by devotion, rituals, and the promise of love and togetherness. It is known as Karak Chathurti. ‘Karwa' or ‘Karak' refers to a clay pot, used to produce a water gift to the moon.

On this day, married women observe fast from sunrise to moonrise for the long life and prosperity of their husbands. Traditionally, they do not consume food or even water during the day. This year the fast will be observed starting 6:09 am and will conclude with moonrise at 08:13 pm.

The day begins early, before sunrise, with a meal prepared by the mother-in-law, which includes fruits, sweets, and other nourishing items. After this, women refrain from eating or drinking for the entire day.

In the evening, women gather together for the Karwa Chauth Puja, where they perform rituals with decorated karwas (earthen pots). These pots symbolize prosperity and are exchanged among women as a gesture of goodwill.

Then the most awaited moment arrives at moonrise. Women view the moon through a sieve and then look at their husbands through the same sieve, offering prayers for their well-being. Husbands, in turn, help them break their fast with the first sip of water and food, making the ritual deeply emotional and symbolic.

In recent years, Karwa Chauth has also found space in popular culture, often depicted in films and television as a celebration of love and commitment.