Ahoi Ashtami 2026 in the USA: Date, Star-Sighting Times and Your Child's Chart

Four days after Karwa Chauth, mothers keep another fast, this time for their children. If you're in the US, here is the date, the times that matter in your city, and a little astrology for the evening.

When is Ahoi Ashtami 2026?

Sunday, November 1, 2026, in both the USA and India.

Ahoi Ashtami is kept on Kartika Krishna Ashtami, the eighth lunar day after the full Moon (in the Amanta calendar used in Gujarat, Maharashtra and the South, the same day falls in Ashwin). The fast is broken in the evening, at twilight, when the first stars appear, so the rule is: the day when Ashtami is running at dusk in your city.

Ashtami begins when the Moon is 264° ahead of the Sun and ends at 276°. Computing that with the NASA JPL DE421 ephemeris (the same engine behind our free Vedic birth chart):

In the US, Ashtami covers all of Sunday, so the date is easy this year. In India it starts on Sunday afternoon and is running at Sunday's dusk. Drik Panchang gives the same day and the same tithi times (2:51 PM IST on November 1 to 1:10 PM IST on November 2 for New Delhi; 1:21 AM to 11:40 PM on November 1 for San Francisco).

Don't forget: clocks fall back that morning

US daylight saving time ends at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 1. Set your clocks back an hour and the sun sets about an hour earlier by the clock than it did on Saturday. The good news for a nirjala fast: the stars come out before 5:30 PM in most US cities.

Star-sighting and moonrise times in US cities

Tradition says you break the fast after sighting the stars at sanjh (dusk). Some families wait for the Moon instead, but on Ahoi Ashtami the Moon rises late at night. Approximate times for Sunday, November 1 (our calculation, standard time; "stars" is the end of civil twilight, when the brightest stars become visible):

Drik Panchang's San Francisco page lists the puja muhurat as 5:11 PM to 6:31 PM and star-sighting at 5:38 PM, which matches. City lights and clouds can hide the first stars, so give it a few extra minutes.

For New Delhi, Drik Panchang lists the puja muhurat from 5:36 PM to 6:54 PM, star-sighting at 6:00 PM and moonrise at 11:40 PM IST.

The astrology of Ahoi Ashtami 2026

Ahoi Ashtami is a mother's prayer for her children, and in Vedic astrology children live in your 5th house, with Jupiter as their karaka (significator). That makes this year's timing special.

Jupiter has just entered Leo. Late on Friday, October 30 (Pacific time; Saturday, October 31 in India), Jupiter leaves exalted Cancer and moves into sidereal Leo, the natural 5th sign of the zodiac, in Magha nakshatra. So the planet of children walks into the sign of children two days before the fast. It's a lovely moment to think about what your child needs to shine: confidence, creativity, being seen. See what Jupiter in Leo means for your Moon sign.

The Moon is in Cancer, its own sign. On Sunday the Moon moves through Cancer, the sign of mothers, home and nourishment. It sits in Pushya (the most nurturing nakshatra) until about 3:05 PM Pacific / 6:05 PM Eastern, then moves into Ashlesha, so by US dusk it's in Ashlesha. Ashlesha is the coiled serpent: protective, intuitive and fiercely loyal to its own, the mother who senses what her child isn't saying.

Bhanu Saptami and Radha Kunda Snan. In India the morning of November 1 is still Saptami on a Sunday (Bhanu Saptami, sacred to the Sun), and Drik Panchang also lists Radha Kunda Snan, the holy dip at Radha Kunda near Govardhan, on the same day.

Simple timeline for the day

1. Morning: draw or place the Ahoi Mata image (with the syahu and her seven sons), and take a sankalp for your children's long life and happiness.
2. Through the day: fast as your health allows. Many mothers keep it without water; pregnant and nursing mothers, and anyone on medication, can keep a gentler version.
3. Evening: Ahoi Mata katha and puja (the story of the mother whose spade accidentally hurt a cub), with water in a karwa, often the one kept from Karwa Chauth.
4. At dusk: offer arghya to the stars, then break the fast.

Look at your child's chart while you wait for the stars

Every child's chart shows how they learn, what they need from you and where they'll shine. Our free Vedic birth chart works for children too: enter their birth date, time and place to see their Moon sign, nakshatra and ascendant. Then ask Miss Astroglow's AI about their temperament, studies or health (it answers in a parent-friendly way for young children). Curious about their birth star? Try the nakshatra calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ahoi Ashtami 2026 on October 31 or November 1?

Sunday, November 1, in both the USA and India. In the US, Ashtami runs from about 1:22 AM to 11:41 PM Pacific on November 1.

What time can I see the stars on Ahoi Ashtami 2026 in the USA?

Roughly 5:20 PM in New York, 5:13 PM in Chicago, 6:01 PM in Dallas, 5:25 PM in Los Angeles and 5:37 PM in the San Francisco Bay Area (standard time, after the clocks fall back that morning).

What time is moonrise on Ahoi Ashtami 2026?

Late: about 11:13 PM in New York, 11:08 PM in Chicago, 11:33 PM in Los Angeles and 11:44 PM in the Bay Area. In Dallas, Houston and Atlanta the Moon rises just after midnight. New Delhi moonrise is 11:40 PM IST.

Does daylight saving time change Ahoi Ashtami?

It doesn't change the date, but it moves dusk about an hour earlier on the clock compared with Saturday, so you'll break the fast earlier than you might expect.

Which nakshatra is the Moon in on Ahoi Ashtami 2026?

Pushya until about 3:05 PM Pacific (6:05 PM Eastern), then Ashlesha, both in Cancer, the Moon's own sign.

Five days later the Diwali season begins: see Dhanteras 2026 in the USA for the date and puja muhurat in your city.

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Want to understand your child's strengths, learning style and the years ahead? Ask Miss Astroglow's AI astrologer (3 questions free), or book a live 1:1 with Miss Astroglow to go through your child's chart together.