Karwa Chauth and Significance of Sargi

Karwa Chauth will be celebrated on October 10, 2025.

Karwa Chauth is a waterless fast and austerity observed by married women to ensure the well-being of their husbands. It is celebrated each year on the fourth day after Purnima (the full moon) between Dussehra and Deepavali.

The word "Karwa" (karawa) refers to the earthen or copper pot in which water is taken for offering to the moon.

The fast begins before sunrise and ends after sighting the moon in the evening. The moon is the ruler of the mind. Worship is performed seeking long life for their husbands, as well as prosperity and peace in marital life.  

Looking at the moon through a sieve represents the process of screening out scattered or unpleasant thoughts. Prayer is the medium for stabilizing the mind. The woman purifies her mind and thoughts through these rituals and, thereafter, looks into the face of her husband. The husband needs to be ready by the time she completes her fast, so that she can look at his face before seeing others. 

What is Sargi

Sargi is a pre-dawn meal prepared by the mother-in-law and given to her daughter-in-law, who is about to fast on this Karwa Chauth day. The food is served on a thali (preferably a new plate) and should contain satvik food, rich in vitamins, nutrients, and proteins.

Besides the pre-dawn meal, Sargi contains clothes and ornaments known as Solah Singaar (16 types of golden jewelry and ornaments that include a necklace, waist-belt, bangles, lipsticks, anklets, bracelets, and other auspicious items for the lady). These are all part of the Sargi offered to the woman by her mother-in-law before the start of the fasting ritual. 

How To Perform Karwa Chauth

• Get up early in the morning before dawn.
• Take a complete bath (known as the oil bath) to purify the body.
• Wear clean and pure clothes, preferably new. If clothes were offered by the mother-in-law, you should wear them for the ritual.
• Wear the jewelry and other items that signify auspiciousness (mangal-sutra, bindi, mehndi,sindhoor, etc.)
• If you are on Nirjala Upavas, you should not drink water till the moon-sighting ceremony.
• Indulge in the worship, chanting prayers, performing bhajans, reading scriptures, etc., throughout the day.
• Preferably, read stories centered around the divinity of women. Stories of Sita Mata, Urmila Devi, Sati Savitri, Ahalya, Arundhati, etc.
• When the moon becomes visible in the sky, offer water to Him and look at him through the sieve.
• She will have to wait till the moon appears, and then only can she break her fast. 
• After seeing the moon, look at your husband's face without looking at other people or things.
• Thereafter, obtain the blessings from her husband and his parents. The ritual concludes in this manner.
• Now, you can eat food/drink water.