Overview
- In Mumbai, women gathered in towers and neighbourhoods and performed the sieve-and-diya moon-sighting after the moon rose at about 9:20 pm, allowing communal breaking of fasts.
- In parts of Madhya Pradesh heavy clouds and drizzle kept the moon hidden for hours, with Indore reporting a visible moon only around 10:40 pm and long waits at public gathering spots.
- The prolonged waits were especially hard on elderly women who had fasted all day and had to remain at outdoor terraces and parks until the moon could be seen.
- When skies stayed overcast some couples used the Night Sky mobile app to locate or view the moon and complete the visual ritual steps that end the fast.
- Karwa Chauth requires a visual moon sighting to conclude the fast, so local weather, venue and rising use of apps shaped how the festival played out this year and were captured in photos and video by ANI and IANS.