Women Observe Karwa Chauth at Work and Inside Tihar Jail

Women across northern India observed Karwa Chauth on Thursday, October 29, fasting from sunrise until moonrise while continuing professional duties or marking the festival inside prison.

Karwa Chauth, also known as Karak Chaturthi, is observed by many married women who abstain from food and water and pray for their husbands’ health and longevity. The Indian Express, citing Drik Panchang, reported a fasting period from 6:31 a.m. to 8:18 p.m., with the puja scheduled between 5:39 p.m. and 6:57 p.m.

At Tihar’s Central Jail No. 6, about 250 to 300 of the 608 women inmates were observing the festival, according to The Hindu. Prison officials arranged fruit, sweets, mathri and vermicelli for the pre-dawn sargi meal. The women planned to gather for a recitation of the Karwa Chauth story before waiting for the moon, although rules requiring their return to cells before sunset meant some would rely on photographs or television coverage before ending their fast. About 1,200 family-visit slots were booked across nine Tihar jails for Thursday, including more than 50 for women inmates.

In Chandigarh and nearby Panchkula, women working in government, policing, election administration and business also chose to remain on duty despite the festival being a restricted holiday. Several told The Indian Express that work helped distract them from hunger and thirst, though they reduced strenuous activity or adjusted their schedules to accommodate the fast and evening rituals.