Ahoi Ashtami 2026 Today: Tithi Timings, Star-Sighting and Why Mothers Keep This Fast
Ahoi Ashtami falls on Sunday, 1 November, about a week before Diwali. Mothers fast through the day for their children and break it after sighting the stars in the evening.
Ahoi Ashtami, the fast that mothers keep for the well-being of their children, is being observed today, Sunday, 1 November 2026. The festival, also called Ahoi Aathe, falls about four days after Karwa Chauth and around a week before Diwali, and is especially popular in north India.
Timings
According to panchang listings, the Saptami tithi runs until about 2:51 pm IST, after which the Ashtami tithi begins and continues through the evening. Sunset is around 5:45 pm (timings vary by city), and the moon rises late, close to midnight, so most women end the fast after spotting the first stars in the evening sky rather than waiting for the moon. Since local timings differ, devotees are advised to check a panchang for their own city.
The day also coincides with Bhanu Saptami, when Saptami falls on a Sunday and is dedicated to the Sun god, and with Kalashtami.
Significance and rituals
Traditionally the fast was kept by mothers for their sons; today many keep it for all their children, sons and daughters alike. Women fast from dawn, and many abstain even from water. In the evening a picture of Ahoi Mata is worshipped along with a kalash and a lamp, the vrat katha is read, and the fast is broken after offering water to the stars.
Elderly women, pregnant or nursing mothers and anyone with a medical condition need not follow the strict fast and should consult a doctor before fasting.
Featured image: Lit diya oil lamp. Photo: Ara Basu, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source).
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