Karwa Chauth 2026 in the USA: Date, Moonrise Times and the Rohini Moon

If you're keeping the Karwa Chauth fast outside India this year, the first thing to know is that your date may not match your family's in India. Here's the date, the moonrise and a little astrology for the night.

When is Karwa Chauth 2026?

• USA and Canada: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
• India: Thursday, October 29, 2026

Karwa Chauth is kept on Kartika Krishna Chaturthi, the fourth lunar day after the full Moon. The fast runs from sunrise until you see the Moon, so the rule is simple: it's the day when Chaturthi is running at moonrise in your city.

Chaturthi begins when the Moon moves 216° ahead of the Sun and ends at 228°. Computing that with the NASA JPL DE421 ephemeris (the same engine behind our free Vedic birth chart):

In the US, Chaturthi is already running when the Moon rises on Wednesday evening, and it's over by Thursday evening. In India it covers the whole of Thursday. That's why the US fast is a day earlier. Drik Panchang gives the same tithi times for New Delhi (1:06 AM to 10:09 PM IST on October 29).

Moonrise times on Karwa Chauth

Approximate moonrise on Wednesday, October 28 (our calculation, local daylight time; hills and buildings can delay the moment you actually see it by 10 to 30 minutes):

For New Delhi on Thursday, October 29, Drik Panchang lists moonrise at 8:17 PM IST, the fast from 6:31 AM to 8:17 PM, and the puja muhurat from 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM.

Tradition says you break the fast when you actually see the Moon, so give it a few extra minutes if your horizon is blocked, and check your local panchang if you're in another city.

The astrology of this year's Karwa Chauth moon

Karwa Chauth is the Moon's festival. You pray to it, offer it water from the karwa, and look at it through the sieve. So where the Moon sits matters.

On Wednesday evening in the US, the sidereal Moon is in Taurus, its sign of exaltation, in Rohini nakshatra. Rohini is the star the Moon loves most. In the old story, of all his 27 wives the Moon was most devoted to Rohini. It's a nakshatra of beauty, comfort, devotion and steady, growing love. A fast that ends under a Rohini moon is a lovely symbol for a festival about lasting marriage.

By Thursday evening in India the Moon has moved into Mrigashira, still in exalted Taurus. Mrigashira is the searching, curious star: a reminder to keep discovering each other, even after many years together.

The day also coincides with Vakratunda Sankashti Chaturthi, so many families begin the puja with Ganesha.

Simple timeline for the day

1. Before sunrise: eat sargi, traditionally given by the mother-in-law, and drink water.
2. Sunrise to moonrise: the nirjala fast (no food or water), if your health allows. Pregnant women, nursing mothers and anyone on medication can keep a gentler version.
3. Evening, before moonrise: Karwa Chauth katha (the story of Veeravati) and puja with the karwa, diya and thali.
4. At moonrise: offer arghya (water) to the Moon, look at the Moon and then your husband through the sieve, and break the fast.

Check your compatibility while you wait for the moon

Karwa Chauth is a beautiful evening to ask how your two charts actually fit. Our free compatibility tool gives you your 36-point Guna Milan in seconds, and you can see what the 7th house of marriage shows in your own chart. Not sure which nakshatra you were born in? Try the nakshatra calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is Karwa Chauth 2026 on October 28 or 29?

In the USA and Canada it's Wednesday, October 28, because Chaturthi is running at moonrise that evening. In India it's Thursday, October 29.

What time is moonrise on Karwa Chauth 2026 in the USA?

Approximately 7:31 PM in New York, 7:23 PM in Chicago, 8:00 PM in Los Angeles and 8:04 PM in the San Francisco Bay Area on October 28. Allow extra time to actually see it above trees or buildings.

Which nakshatra is the Moon in on Karwa Chauth 2026?

In the US on the evening of October 28 the Moon is in Rohini, in exalted Taurus. In India on the evening of October 29 it is in Mrigashira, still in Taurus.

Can I keep the fast on India's date while living in the US?

Most priests and panchangs follow the local date, because the fast ends at your own moonrise. Some families prefer to fast with relatives in India; either is a matter of family custom.

Four days later mothers keep the next fast for their children: see Ahoi Ashtami 2026 in the USA for the date and star-sighting times.

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Want to know what your chart says about your marriage? Ask Miss Astroglow's AI astrologer (3 questions free), or book a live 1:1 with Miss Astroglow to look at both charts together.