JAMMU, Oct 25: Karwa Chauth Vrat will be observed on Thursday, October 29, 2026, with Mahant Rohit Shastri, Jyotishacharya and president of Shri Kailakh Jyotish Evam Vedic Sansthan Trust, urging devotees to perform the puja during the auspicious muhurat and avoid spreading misconceptions about the religious observance.
According to Mahant Rohit Shastri, the auspicious time for Karwa Chauth puja will be from 5:38 PM to 7:05 PM on October 29. The Moon is expected to rise in Jammu at approximately 8:25 PM, although the timing may vary across locations.
Clarifying a misconception surrounding the festival, Shastri said women observing Karwa Chauth for the first time can begin the fast this year. However, the formal concluding ritual, known as Udyapan or Mokh, will not be performed this year due to the Balyatva (childhood stage) of Venus, or Shukra, according to the religious tradition cited by him.
He appealed to people not to spread confusion or misinformation regarding the observance, adding that women who wish to begin the fast need not postpone it on this account.
Karwa Chauth falls on the Chaturthi Tithi of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Kartik. The festival is observed with devotion by married Hindu women, who traditionally fast and pray for their husbands’ longevity, well-being and marital happiness. The festival is celebrated widely in northern India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Explaining the religious significance of the occasion, Shastri said the fast traditionally begins before sunrise after the consumption of Sargi, a pre-dawn meal. Women observe the fast throughout the day and perform evening prayers before breaking it after sighting the Moon.
In Jammu and Kashmir, traditional Sargi items include pheni, katlamas, coconut, milk, rabri and sweet kachori. Devotees worship Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Kartikeya and Chandra Dev, and recite or listen to the Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha.
The traditional puja involves preparing the Karwa, offering prayers to Goddess Gauri, lighting a diya and arranging customary offerings and adornments. After listening to the Vrat Katha, women traditionally offer Arghya (water) to the Moon and view it through a sieve before breaking their fast.
Shastri said the fast may traditionally be observed for 12 or 16 years, after which devotees may perform the prescribed Udyapan ceremony. Women may also choose to continue observing the fast throughout their lives, according to their family traditions and religious beliefs.
He further advised women with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or other serious medical conditions to consult their doctors before undertaking a day-long fast. He emphasised that health and medical guidance should be given due consideration while deciding whether to observe the fast.