Overview

• Hindustan Times, citing Drik Panchang, lists the puja muhurat from 5:57 to 7:11 pm, with fasting from about 6:19 am until an expected moonrise near 8:13 pm, though some outlets note slight local variations up to about 8:36 pm.
• Observers keep a strict nirjala fast from sunrise to moonrise, most commonly in North and West India on Krishna Paksha Chaturthi of Kartik, with some men now joining the tradition.
• The evening sequence emphasized by guides is to offer arghya to the moon, view the moon through a chalni, then view the spouse through the same sieve before the spouse offers the first sip of water or morsel to end the fast.
• Explainers highlight the sieve’s symbolism as a filter for impurities and a light veil during the puja, with some households placing a diya on it before the ritual.
• First‑timer advice stresses a nourishing Sargi before dawn, festive attire and solah shringar, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, steering clear of black or white outfits, and using health‑conscious adaptations if needed as some guides suggest.