Sakat Chauth is observed by women for the well-being of their children. It falls every year on the fourth day of the Krishna Paksha of the Magha month. In 2026, Sakat Chauth is being observed on January 6.
Most women keep a strict fast on this day, many without food or water. The fast is broken only after sighting the moon or the stars. Lord Ganesha is worshipped, as he is believed to protect children and remove unseen obstacles from their lives. Along with the rituals, listening to the vrat katha is considered essential. Not as a formality, but as a reminder of what the fast truly stands for. One of the most widely narrated stories of Sakat Chauth is that of two sisters-in-law.
The Sakat Chauth story: The two sisters-in-law
There once lived two sisters-in-law in a city. One was wealthy, the other poor. The younger sister-in-law lived in hardship. Her married life was filled with the constant ill-health of her husband, who earned his livelihood by cutting and selling wood. She had to earn her livelihood by working at her sister-in-law’s house, doing all her household chores from morning to night. In lieu of her service, she would get to eat the leftovers from their meals and old clothes to wear. Yet, her devotion to Lord Ganesha never wavered.
In the month of Magha, she chose to keep the Til Chauth fast. She bought sesame seeds and jaggery with the meagre money she had and made tilkut. She worshipped Lord Ganesha with devotion, listened to the vrat katha, and offered tilkut (pounded sesame seeds) in a hanging basket. She resolved to eat only after the moonrise.
After completing the puja, she went to her elder sister-in-law’s house to work, as she did every day. When the food was ready, she asked the children to eat. They refused, saying they would eat only after their fasting mother did. Her brother-in-law said the same.
When the poor woman asked for a little food to take home, she was turned away. “No one has eaten yet,” the elder sister-in-law said. “You can take leftovers in the morning.”
She returned home quietly. Her husband and children were waiting, expecting something special because it was a festival day. When they realised there was nothing to eat, the children began to cry. Her husband, already burdened by illness and frustration, lost his temper and beat her in anger. That night, exhausted and bruised, she fell asleep crying.
Lord Ganesha’s arrival
In her sleep, Lord Ganesha appeared before her. He asked gently whether she was awake or asleep, and said he was hungry. The woman replied that there was nothing in the house. Then she remembered the sesame sweet kept aside after the puja. She told him he could eat that. After eating, Ganesha asked where he could relieve himself and wash his hands. Tired beyond words, the woman told him to do as he wished, even wiping his hands on her head.
When she woke up in the morning, her small hut had transformed. Diamonds and pearls lay everywhere. Where Lord Ganesha had touched her head, jewel-like marks shone.
The elder sister-in-law’s mistake
When the younger sister-in-law stopped coming to work, the elder sister-in-law sent her children to call her. They returned, describing a house filled with wealth. The elder sister-in-law went herself and demanded an explanation. Hearing the story, she decided to repeat the ritual, not out of faith, but out of greed. She forced her husband to beat her, prepared rich sweets with ghee, and waited for Lord Ganesha, confident of the outcome.
But when morning came, her house was filled not with wealth, but with filth and stench. Only then did she realise her mistake. When she begged for forgiveness, Lord Ganesha told her that jealousy had led her here, and that she would have to share her wealth with her sister-in-law. Only after doing so did her house return to normal.
What the Sakat Chauth story teaches
Sakat Chauth is more about the moral lesson that humility and devoted faith are rewarded, whereas greed in the guise of devotion will not be. And that is why women keep this fast, in secrecy, in sincerity, for the protection and happiness of their children.
Also read: Sakat Chauth 2026 moonrise time: City-wise timings for January 6
