Karwa Chauth “Karva Chauth” 2016: How India is celebrating the festival

Karva Chauth is a religious festival that falls on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Kartik in the lunisolar calendar. Married women and women reaching marriageable age traditionally fast throughout the day from sunrise till the moon rise. On this day, they worship Shiva, Ganesha, Karthikeya, Parvati and also pay offerings to the moon. The one-day festival is mainly observed in Indian states like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Click to see pictures of women celebrating Karva Chauth in India this year.

Click to see pictures of women celebrating Karva Chauth in India this year.

A woman performing rituals on the occasion of Karva Chauth in Mirzapur on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

A married woman looks at the moon through a sieve as part of a ritual before breaking her fast during the Karva Chauth festival in Nagpur on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

Women perform Karva Chauth rituals with their husbands imprisoned at Amritsar Central Jail in Amritsar on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

Women performing rituals on the occasion of Karva Chauth in Allahabad on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

Women pose for a photo on the occasion of Karva Chauth in Indore on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

Two women click a selfie as they celebrate Karva Chauth in Indore on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

Teachers show their henna-applied hands during the Karva Chauth celebrations at a school in Reetkheri in Patiala on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

Married Women pose for a selfie during the Karva Chauth celebrations in Jalandhar on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

Women performing rituals on the occasion of Karva Chauth in Bikaner on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

Married women performing rituals on the occasion of Karva Chauth in Patna on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)

A woman in Shimla is busy shopping for Karva Chauth. Karva Chauth falls on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Kartik in the lunisolar calendar.(Source: PTI)

Women buying bangles for Karva Chauth festival in Nagpur. Traditionally, married women and those reaching the marriageable observe the day by fasting rigorously from sunrise and breaking the fast when the moon rises. (Source: PTI)

Artists apply henna on women's hands on the eve of the Hindu festival of Karva Chauth at a market place in Chandigarh. The one-day festival is mainly observed in Indian states like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh.(Source: Reuters)

Women get their hands decorated with henna on the eve of Karva Chauth festival in Allahabad. Hindu women fast and pray from sunrise and break the fast at seeing the moon. Using a sieve, they first look at the moon, following which they look at their husband’s face before eating anything. (Source: PTI)

A woman flaunts the freshly applied henna on her hands ahead of Karva Chauth in Nagpur. Women partake in pujas and prayers for their husbands’ long life and prosperity. (Source: PTI)

An Indian woman gets henna applied on her hands, on the eve of the Hindu festival of Karva Chauth in Jammu. Married Hindu women decorate their hands with henna, wear colorful bangles and observe a fast to pray for the longevity and well being of their husbands during this festival. (Source: AP)

Women shop for Karva Chauth festival in Moradabad. (Source: PTI)

Women buying bangles for Karva Chauth festival in Moradabad. Women buy spherical, earthen pots, paint beautiful designs on them and put bangles and ribbons, sweets, make-up items, and small clothes inside them. (Source: PTI)

Women buying bangles for Karva Chauth festival in Patiala. (Source: PTI)

A woman gets her hand decorated with henna ahead of Karva Chauth in Ajmer. Women get intricate mehendi designs applied and dress up beautifully mostly in bridal colours while observing the fast. (Source: PTI)

An artist applies henna on a woman's hand ahead of Karva Chauth in Jammu. In some regions, women drink milk during the preparations the evening before the festival and women usually eat a dish called ‘fenia’, made of milk, vermicelli and dry fruits on the eve of the festival. (Source: Reuters)

An artist applies henna on an older woman's hand on the eve of Karva Chauth at a market place in Chandigarh. (Source: Reuters)

Girls decorate their hands with 'henna' for 'Karva Chauth' festival in Jammu. (Source: PTI)

Two women show the freshly applied mehndi on their hands ahead of Karva Chauth in Jammu. (Source: PTI)