Shiva & Parvati
Honoured alongside: Ganesha · Kartikeya · Chandra
Gauri and Shiva together, with Ganesha invoked first — and the moon at the end. The fast is often described as being for a husband's long life, but the puja itself is addressed to Parvati as the ideal of a sustained marriage.
What the puja consists of
- Eat sargi before dawn, traditionally sent by the mother-in-law.
- Keep a nirjala fast — without food or water — through the day.
- In the evening, worship a clay or metal Gauri with Ganesha; arrange the karwa pots and the thali.
- Gather to hear the Karwa Chauth vrat katha, passing the thalis in a circle.
- When the moon rises, offer arghya through a sieve, then take the first sip of water from the husband's hand.
Core chants
Named, not printed — each links to a recording where the catalogue has one.
- Katha
Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha
The story of Veeravati, heard together before moonrise — the heart of the observance.
Not in the catalogue yet — ask at your local temple or gurdwara, or learn it from a teacher in your tradition.
- Mantra
Om Shivayai Namah / Om Namah Shivayaॐ शिवायै नमः
Japa to Gauri and Shiva during the evening puja.
- Mantra
Om Gam Ganapataye Namahॐ गं गणपतये नमः
The opening invocation, as with any puja.
- Mantra
Chandra Darshan mantra
Recited while offering arghya to the moon.
Not in the catalogue yet — ask at your local temple or gurdwara, or learn it from a teacher in your tradition.
It differs where you are. Chiefly a Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh observance; unmarried women and, increasingly, husbands keep it too. Anyone with a health condition should treat the nirjala form as optional — traditional practice has always allowed relaxation for illness, pregnancy and age.
This page is editorial context, not religious instruction. Where your family, region or lineage does it differently, that is the version to follow — ask an elder or a teacher in your tradition rather than a website.