Sun Oct 20 17:20:03 UTC 2024: **Karwa Chauth 2024 Summary:**

1. **Festival Date**: Karwa Chauth is being celebrated on October 20, 2024, across India.
2. **Purpose**: Married women observe a day-long fast (Nirjala Vrat) for their husbands’ long life and a happy married life.
3. **Ceremony Timing**: The fast lasts from sunrise until moonrise, with rituals taking place in the evening.
4. **Moonrise**:
– Moonrise times vary across cities:
– Noida: 8:14 PM
– New Delhi: 8:15 PM
– Gurugram: 8:16 PM
– Mumbai: 8:59 PM
– Chennai: 8:43 PM
– Varanasi: 7:32 PM
5. **Significance**: The festival is particularly significant during the fourth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartika, when women pray to Goddess Karwa for their husbands’ wellbeing.
6. **Rituals**: Females perform special prayers to Karwa Mata, offering dishes like Kheer, Halwa, and seasonal fruits. They also donate items symbolizing marriage, such as bangles and sindoor.
7. **Cultural Atmosphere**: There is a notable increase in market activity around Karwa Chauth, with expectations of around ₹22,000 crores in sales, as women flock to purchase traditional garments and beauty services.
8. **Vrat Protocol**: Women maintain a strict fast without food or water, breaking the fast after offering prayers and food to the moon and husbands.
9. **Geographical Note**: The festival timing and practices may vary globally, especially in locations like America, based on local traditions and moon visibility.

Overall, Karwa Chauth is a deeply significant cultural festival in India, marked by devotion and festive activities among married women.

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