On Karwa Chauth, the wait for the moon is as much a part of the celebration as the festive outfits, mehendi and family photographs. For Bollywood celebrities, the festival also offers a glimpse into how they maintain personal traditions while balancing busy schedules and, in some cases, life outside India.
Observed on Thursday, 29 October, in India, Karwa Chauth has brought together familiar rituals and personal celebrations this year. Priyanka Chopra Jonas shared moments from her celebration with Nick Jonas and their daughter, Malti Marie. Shilpa Shetty's elaborate sargi featured fruits, flowers and traditional offerings, while Preity Zinta marked the occasion in the US, where cloudy skies made spotting the moon difficult.
But what is the story behind Karwa Chauth, why do women observe the fast, and what do its rituals mean?
ALSO WATCH: Karwa Chauth: To celebrate or not to?
The Story Behind Karwa Chauth And Why It Is Celebrated
Karwa Chauth is a Hindu festival traditionally observed by married women, particularly across northern and north-western India. They fast from sunrise until moonrise and pray for their husbands' health and long life.
The name combines karwa, meaning an earthen pot used in the rituals, and chauth, meaning the fourth day. The festival falls on the fourth day of the dark fortnight in the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. While its exact origins remain unclear, some traditions connect it to prayers for husbands travelling away from home, while others link it to the agricultural calendar.
Religious legends also shape the festival's significance. According to one popular story, Veeravati, a newly married woman, observed her first Karwa Chauth fast. Unable to bear seeing their sister hungry, her seven brothers trick her into believing the moon has risen by creating the illusion of moonlight. Veeravati broke her fast, but soon learnt that her husband has died. Heartbroken, she prayed to the goddess and observed the fast again with devotion. Her prayers were eventually answered, and her husband returned to life.
Another Hindu legend tells the story of Savitri, whose husband Satyavan is destined to die. When Yama, the god of death, takes his soul, Savitri follows him and refuses to give up. Impressed by her determination, Yama grants her a boon, and through her clever choice, she secures her husband's return to life. Although the Savitri story is not a direct account of Karwa Chauth's origins, it is often associated with the wider tradition of devotion to a spouse.
Today, Karwa Chauth is also an occasion for women to apply mehendi, wear festive outfits and gather with family and friends while continuing traditions passed down through generations.
Sargi, Mehendi And Moon Sighting: How Karwa Chauth Is Celebrated
The rituals begin before sunrise and continue until the moon appears in the evening. Customs vary between families and regions, but a few practices are closely associated with the festival.
Sargi before sunrise
Sargi is a pre-dawn meal traditionally given by a mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law. It can include fruits, sweets, dry fruits, coconut and other foods eaten before the fast begins. Some families also include gifts, jewellery and festive clothing.
Fasting through the day
Women observing the traditional nirjala vrat abstain from both food and water until moonrise. Others may follow different practices depending on family customs and individual circumstances.
Mehendi and festive dressing
Mehendi, bangles, traditional jewellery and colourful Indian outfits are important parts of the celebration for many women. Red is a familiar festive choice, but women also wear pink, gold, ivory and other colours.
Evening puja and the vrat katha
Families gather for prayers and listen to the vrat katha, or religious story associated with the fast. A decorated thali and an earthen karwa may form part of the ritual.
Moon sighting and breaking the fast
Once the moon appears, women traditionally look at it through a sieve, offer prayers and then look at their husbands. In many families, the husband offers his wife water and food to break the fast.
The moon's appearance marks the end of the day's observance, making moonrise one of the most anticipated moments of the festival.
Bollywood's Karwa Chauth 2026 Celebrations
From personal mehendi designs to elaborate pre-dawn spreads, Bollywood celebrities have shared different glimpses of their celebrations this year. Here is a look at it.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas Celebrates With Nick Jonas And Malti Marie
Priyanka Chopra Jonas celebrated Karwa Chauth in the US with her husband, Nick Jonas, and their daughter, Malti Marie. Her Instagram Stories offered a look at the family's celebration, including a personalised mehendi design and photographs from the occasion.
The actor's mehendi featured the initials “NJ” for Nick and “MM” for Malti. She also shared a family photograph of Nick spending time with their daughter, captioned, “Daddy’s home! My whole world in one frame.. happy karwachauth.”
For the occasion, Priyanka wore a traditional red outfit with gold detailing, complemented by sindoor and traditional jewellery. She also shared a glimpse of herself waiting for the moon to appear, showing that the familiar ritual remained part of her celebration despite being away from India.
Shilpa Shetty's Sargi Spread Features Fruits, Flowers And Traditional Offerings
Shilpa Shetty's Karwa Chauth preparations began with an elaborate sargi arrangement. A video shared on her Instagram showed a table decorated with colourful flowers, fruit and traditional items.
The spread included green grapes, apples, oranges, pomegranates and custard apples, along with a coconut and floral decorations in pink, purple and white. A metal bowl containing vermicelli was also visible among the offerings.
Sargi is traditionally eaten before sunrise to prepare for the day-long fast. The meal's contents vary between households, but fruits, sweets and dry fruits are common additions. Shilpa, who is married to businessman Raj Kundra, shared glimpses of her Karwa Chauth celebrations with followers.
Her preparations highlight one of the festival's central traditions: the meal that brings family customs into the day's observance before the fast begins.
Preity Zinta's Karwa Chauth In The US Comes With A Moon-Sighting Hiccup
For Preity Zinta, the challenge this year was not the fast itself but finding the moon. The actor observed Karwa Chauth in the US for her husband, Gene Goodenough, and posted on X on 28 October, asking whether anyone on the US East Coast had spotted the moon through the cloudy sky.
Is it just me or has the moon disappeared ? Has any one seen the moon on the east coast ? My karvachauth vrat is on & th moon is playing hide n seek in a cloudy sky 🤔🪔❤️😍
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) October 29, 2026
In her post, she joked that the moon was playing hide-and-seek and wondered whether it had disappeared. Her update captured a practical problem that can affect the ritual when celebrations take place abroad: the moon may not be visible at the expected time because of local weather conditions.
There is also a date difference to keep in mind. Preity's post was dated 28 October in the US, while Karwa Chauth was being observed in India on 29 October.
Why Karwa Chauth Continues To Matter
From Bollywood celebrities to families celebrating at home, Karwa Chauth continues to be part of annual traditions for those who observe it.
While celebrities share their festive looks and family moments, people across India mark the day through customs passed down through generations. For Indian families living abroad, too, the festival remains an occasion to continue these traditions, keeping Karwa Chauth relevant across different generations and communities.
TL;DR | News At A Glance
When Is Karwa Chauth 2026?
Karwa Chauth 2026 falls on Thursday, 29 October, in India. Married Hindu women traditionally observe a fast from sunrise until moonrise.
Why Is Karwa Chauth Celebrated?
Karwa Chauth is traditionally observed by married Hindu women who pray for their husbands' health, safety and long life.
What Is The History Of Karwa Chauth?
Karwa Chauth is rooted in Hindu religious traditions and regional customs. Its exact historical origins remain unclear, but legends associated with the festival explain its connection to fasting and prayers for a husband's well-being.
What Is The Story Of Veeravati On Karwa Chauth?
According to a popular legend, Veeravati's seven brothers trick her into believing the moon has risen so she breaks her fast. After learning that her husband has died, she prays and observes the fast again. The story ends with her husband's life being restored.
What Is The Story Of Savitri And Satyavan?
In Hindu mythology, Savitri follows Yama, the god of death, after he takes her husband Satyavan's soul. Through her determination and a clever choice of boon, she secures her husband's return to life. The story is associated with marital devotion but is not a direct account of Karwa Chauth's origins.
What Is Sargi In Karwa Chauth?
Sargi is a pre-dawn meal traditionally prepared or given by a mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law. It may include fruits, sweets, dry fruits and other foods eaten before the fast begins.
What Are The Main Karwa Chauth Rituals?
The main rituals include eating sargi before sunrise, observing a fast, applying mehendi, performing evening puja, listening to the vrat katha and sighting the moon before breaking the fast.
Why Do Women Look At The Moon Through A Sieve On Karwa Chauth?
In a traditional Karwa Chauth ritual, women look at the moon through a sieve, offer prayers and then look at their husbands before breaking the fast. Customs may vary between families and regions.
