Karva Chauth

What

Married women observe a strict fast from sunrise until moonrise, breaking it only after sighting the moon through a sieve and then looking at their husband's face through the same sieve, followed by a shared meal.

Why

The fast is understood as a devotional act for a spouse's long life and wellbeing, and the moon-sighting ritual — waiting out an entire day specifically to look up, together, at the same small point of light — gives the observance its most visually distinctive and widely recognized moment.

Preparation

• Prepare sargi, a pre-dawn meal, if beginning the fast at sunrise
• Arrange a decorative thali with items used in the evening puja
• Have a sieve ready for the moonrise ritual
• Plan the shared meal that breaks the fast