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Fasts and festivals

Ahoi Ashtami 2026: 1 November

Sunday, 1 November 2026

Kartik Krishna Ashtami (Purnimanta) · Ashwin Krishna Ashtami (Amanta)

In 25 days
Ahoi Ashtami at dusk: a mother in a red saree offers water to the first stars from a lota on a terrace, with a puja thali beside her
Image: made with AI

Puja muhurat and star-sighting time

Puja muhuratAfter sunset
5:36–6:54 PM
Stars appearOffer arghya to the stars and break the fast
6:01 PM
MoonriseFor those who offer arghya to the moon
11:40 PM
Ashtami tithi
2:53 PM to 1:12 PM (2 Nov)

Stars show only in a clear sky; city lights can delay them by a few minutes.

For Sunday, 1 November 2026, in Indian Standard Time, from the chosen city’s sunrise, sunset and planetary positions. Differences of 1–2 minutes between panchangs are normal. How we calculate

In short

Ahoi Ashtami 2026 is on Sunday, 1 November. It falls on Kartik Krishna Ashtami (Purnimanta), after Karva Chauth and about a week before Diwali. Mothers fast through the day for the wellbeing of their children, worship Ahoi Mata in the evening, and break the fast on seeing the stars. See the time for your city below.

Edited by the SanatanBodh editorial teamLast updated: 3 sourcesDrafted with AI, checked against sourcesReport a mistake

City-wise times: Stars appear

Pick your city for its full timings, nearby cities and common questions.

At a glance

Tithi
Kartik Krishna Ashtami (Purnimanta)
Also called
Ahoi Aathe
Worshipped
Ahoi Mata (in folk tradition, a form of Parvati)
Fast
Kept by mothers for their children’s wellbeing and long life
Fasting time
From sunrise until the stars appear, traditionally without water
Breaking the fast
With arghya to the stars; in some families, after moonrise
Mathura
Midnight bath in Radha Kund
Especially in
Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan

The Ahoi Ashtami fast

This fast comes not from any Purana but from folk tradition and the vrat katha, so its rituals vary a little by region and family.

For whom

Mothers fast for the long life and wellbeing of their children. Traditionally it was kept for sons; today many families keep it for sons and daughters alike.

Folk tradition

The picture of Ahoi Mata

For the puja, a picture of Ahoi Mata is drawn on the wall with geru (red ochre) or on paper. It usually also shows a syahu (porcupine) and her young, who come from the vrat katha. Printed pictures are also common today.

Folk tradition

Breaking the fast on seeing the stars

On Krishna Ashtami the moon rises around midnight, so most families break the fast in the evening when the stars appear, offering them arghya. Some families wait for moonrise.

Folk tradition

The Radha Kund snan

At Radha Kund, near Govardhan in Mathura district, there is a tradition of bathing at midnight on Ahoi Ashtami. In Braj belief Radha Kund is Shri Radha’s own pond, and couples who wish for children bathe here on this night. This is a local tradition of Braj.

How to perform the puja

  1. Step 1

    Sankalpa

    In the morning, after bathing, take a sankalpa (resolve) to fast for your children’s wellbeing.

  2. Step 2

    Fasting through the day

    Traditionally without water; if you are pregnant, unwell or taking medication, decide according to your health.

  3. Step 3

    The picture of Ahoi Mata

    Draw Ahoi Mata and the syahu on the wall with geru or on paper, or put up a printed picture. Place a kalash filled with water in front of it.

  4. Step 4

    Evening puja and katha

    During the puja muhurat, worship Ahoi Mata with roli, akshat (unbroken rice), flowers and a lamp, offer bhog and listen to the Ahoi Ashtami katha.

  5. Step 5

    Arghya and parana

    When the stars appear, offer them arghya with water and break the fast; in some families, the fast is broken after moonrise by offering arghya to the moon.

The story

The moneylender’s wife and the syahu

According to the popular vrat katha, a moneylender’s wife had seven sons. Before Diwali, she went to the forest to fetch earth for plastering the house. While she was digging, her spade accidentally killed the cub of a syahu (porcupine). Within a short time, her seven sons died one after another. The grieving woman told the elderly women of the village everything. They told her to draw the syahu and her cubs on Kartik Krishna Ashtami, worship Ahoi Mata and ask forgiveness for her mistake. She did so, and by the Mother’s grace she was blessed with children again. The story is told in many versions.

Folk vrat kathaRead the full katha

Ahoi Ashtami: relations

See in the knowledge graph

Deities, figures and sages 1

Tirths and places 1

  • Radha Kund · Place of the midnight bathBraj tradition

Festivals 1

  • Karva Chauth · Fast four tithis earlierPanchang (Kartik Krishna Chaturthi and Ashtami)

Frequently asked questions

When is Ahoi Ashtami 2026?

On Sunday, 1 November.

Is Ahoi Ashtami on 1 November or 2 November?

On 1 November (Sunday). Ashtami tithi runs from 2:53 PM on 1 November to 1:12 PM on 2 November. Ahoi Mata is worshipped in the evening and the fast ends when the stars appear, so the day taken is the one whose evening has Ashtami: the evening of 1 November.

What time will the stars appear on Ahoi Ashtami, 1 November?

The stars appear on Sunday, 1 November 2026: New Delhi 6:01 PM, Lucknow 5:47 PM, Jaipur 6:08 PM, Chandigarh 6:00 PM, Indore 6:12 PM, Mumbai 6:28 PM, Kolkata 5:22 PM, Bengaluru 6:15 PM. Puja muhurat in New Delhi: 5:36–6:54 PM. Stars show only in a clear sky. Other cities are in the list above.

When is the Ahoi Ashtami fast broken?

In the evening, when the stars appear, by offering them arghya. Some families break it after moonrise, which comes late at night on this day. See the time for your city above.

Who is Ahoi Mata?

In folk tradition, a goddess who protects children, regarded as a form of Parvati. Along with her picture, a syahu (porcupine) and her cubs are also drawn.

Is the Ahoi Ashtami fast only for sons?

Traditionally it was kept for sons, but today many families keep this fast for both sons and daughters.

What is the Radha Kund snan?

A tradition of bathing at midnight on Ahoi Ashtami in Radha Kund, near Govardhan in Mathura district, done with the wish for children. It is a local tradition of Braj.

Sources

  1. Folk tradition and the Ahoi Ashtami vrat katha
  2. Braj tradition (Radha Kund snan)
  3. Muhurat and moonrise: SanatanBodh panchang calculation, checked against Drik Panchang (New Delhi, 2026–27)

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