Karwa Chauth falls on Thursday 29 October 2026 in India, and if you are putting your look together this month, you have probably found three websites giving three different versions of the same sixteen adornments. The solah shringar list most North Indian families follow covers bindi, sindoor, maang tikka, kajal, nath, earrings, necklace or mangalsutra, mehendi, bangles, bajuband, ring, kamarband, payal, bichiya, gajra and itar, but the exact sixteen change from region to region and family to family.
Below is that list in one table, with a one-line meaning for each item and an honest note on where lists disagree. After that, I go deeper on the metal pieces, because that is where I can actually help: the toe rings, anklets, nath, earrings and rings that our karigars make in silver in Jaipur. And then the practical part, which pieces a woman who is fasting through a working Thursday will realistically wear.
In short
- Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday 29 October in India. Drik Panchang lists moonrise at 8:17 PM for New Delhi; check your own city.
- There is no single official solah shringar list. Sixteen is the count; the items vary by region and community.
- Ten of the sixteen are jewellery, from the maang tikka down to the bichiya. The rest are cosmetics, flowers and perfume.
- Payal and bichiya are traditionally silver, because in many Hindu families gold is not worn below the waist. It is a belief, and not every family follows it.
- Most of our pieces are made to order and usually dispatch in 2 to 5 working days, so order for 29 October early.
The solah shringar list: all 16 adornments in one table
Solah means sixteen and shringar means adornment. The idea is a complete, head-to-toe dressing of a married woman, worn at her wedding and again on days like Karwa Chauth, Teej and family weddings. This is one widely used North Indian version.
| # | Shringar | What it is | What it traditionally signifies | Usual material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bindi | A dot between the brows | A red bindi is widely linked with married women | Kumkum or felt |
| 2 | Sindoor | Vermilion along the hair parting (maang) | The best known sign of a married Hindu woman | Vermilion powder |
| 3 | Maang tikka | A pendant that sits on the parting | Sits over the sindoor; a bridal piece | Gold, silver, kundan |
| 4 | Kajal | Kohl along the eyes | Traditionally believed to keep away nazar | Kohl |
| 5 | Nath | A nose ring, often with a chain | A bridal piece in many communities | Gold or silver |
| 6 | Karn phool | Earrings, from studs to jhumkas | On almost every version of the list | Gold or silver |
| 7 | Haar or mangalsutra | A necklace; the mangalsutra has black beads | The mangalsutra marks marriage | Gold; the mangalsutra adds black beads |
| 8 | Mehendi | Henna on hands and sometimes feet | Celebration; the "darker colour, more love" line is a folk saying | Henna paste |
| 9 | Choodiyan | Bangles | In many regions red and green bangles mark a married woman | Glass, lac, gold, silver |
| 10 | Bajuband | An armlet on the upper arm | Bridal; strong in Rajasthani tradition | Gold or silver |
| 11 | Aarsi or angoothi | A ring; the aarsi is a thumb ring with a small mirror | Lets the bride glimpse herself | Gold or silver |
| 12 | Kamarband | A waist chain or belt over the saree or lehenga | Bridal finish at the waist | Silver or gold |
| 13 | Payal | Anklets, often with ghungroo bells | Many families say a new bride's payal announces Lakshmi entering the home | Usually silver |
| 14 | Bichiya | Toe rings, worn in pairs on the second toe | Married status | Usually silver |
| 15 | Gajra or keshpasha | Flowers or ornaments in the hair | Fragrance and a finished hairstyle | Jasmine, silver or gold pins |
| 16 | Itar | Perfume oil | Fragrance through long rituals | Attar |
Why your list might look different
Other lists swap in haathphool (the hand ornament that links a ring to a bracelet), alta (the red dye along the edge of the feet), or the bridal outfit itself, the shaadi ka joda. Some count payal and bichiya as one item; others count the mangalsutra separately from the necklace. None of these lists is wrong. Ask the eldest woman in your family which sixteen she grew up with, and that is your list.
The metal pieces of solah shringar, one by one
Strip away the cosmetics and the flowers, and the jewellery is what stays with you for decades. These are the pieces worth buying properly.
Bichiya: the toe rings
A bichiya is a toe ring traditionally worn in pairs on the second toe of both feet by married Hindu women, usually made of silver. The same piece is called metti in Tamil, mettelu in Telugu and jodavi in Marathi, so the tradition runs well beyond the states that keep Karwa Chauth.
On the fast day I would choose something that is easy on the foot. Our Filigree Band Toe-Rings (Pair) are Jaipur filigree, fine silver threads twisted and soldered into an openwork band, and come in two sizes, small (1.5 cm) and large (1.75 cm). The Chandrama Toe-Rings (Pair) have a crescent moon at the front and are adjustable, which feels right for a festival that ends with looking for the moon.
Payal: the anklets
Payal is the shringar you hear before you see it. Many traditional payal carry small ghungroo bells, and in many homes the sound is part of the memory of the festival. The Twin Bells Anklet has two hollow bells on a chain; it is sold as a single piece, so choose a quantity of 2 if you want a pair.
Nath: the nose ring
A heavy bridal nath is beautiful for photographs and exhausting after an hour. For Karwa Chauth, a lighter nath you can keep on through the evening puja makes more sense. The Moon Nath (wire or Clip-on) comes with a wire for a left or right piercing, or as a clip-on for the left side if your nose is not pierced.
Karn phool and angoothi: earrings and rings
Earrings appear on almost every version of the list. A small jhumka sits well with both a saree and a suit, and it does not pull at your earlobes through a long day. Our Mini Jhumka with Pearl Drops keeps the traditional bell shape in a smaller size. For the ring, many women simply wear their wedding ring and stop there, which counts.
Why silver is traditionally worn below the waist
At a lot of North Indian weddings you will notice the split: gold at the neck and wrists, silver on the feet. The common explanation is that gold holds a respected status, so in many Hindu families it is not worn on the feet. The encyclopaedia entry on toe rings notes that toe rings in India are usually silver and worn in pairs, that gold may not be worn below the waist by Hindus, and that this is not followed strictly everywhere.
So treat it as what it is, a belief many families follow and some do not. If your family has always worn gold toe rings, nobody is going to stop the puja over it. What I would push back on is the idea that the foot pieces matter less because they are silver. They are the pieces you wear every single day after the festival, and they take the most wear of anything you own.
What a modern woman actually wears on Karwa Chauth
This year Karwa Chauth is a Thursday. According to Drik Panchang for New Delhi, the puja muhurat runs from 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM and moonrise is at 8:17 PM. Panchangs set to US cities show the festival on Wednesday 28 October, so if you are celebrating abroad, check your local listing. For most of you in India, it means fasting through a working day, then dressing for the puja in the evening.
Here is how I would split it:
- From the morning: sindoor, bindi, mangalsutra, bichiya, a slim payal and small earrings. All of these can go to the office without anyone blinking.
- For the evening puja: add the mehendi from the night before, bangles, the nath, a maang tikka if you like one, and the jhumkas.
- Skip without guilt: bajuband, kamarband and haathphool, unless you love them. They are bridal pieces and most women save them for weddings.
That is still sixteen in spirit, and much kinder to a body that has been fasting since before sunrise.
What I tell women who ask me about Karwa Chauth jewellery
Buy the foot pieces in real silver. Festive season is when I see the most "silver" that is not silver being sold, and the listings are often worded carefully: silver-toned, silver finish, oxidised look, German silver. German silver contains no silver at all; it is an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. Your payal and bichiya touch the floor, the bathroom tiles and every monsoon puddle, and plating does not survive that for long.
Real 925 sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper, for strength. It will tarnish, especially on your feet, where it meets sweat and water every day. That darkening is silver reacting with sulphur in the air and on skin; it is chemistry, not a defect, and a soft silver cloth takes it off. Every piece we make is stamped 925, and our family has worked with silver in Jaipur since 1985, so I say this with some confidence: a toe ring that never changes colour is the one I would worry about. If you want a quick way to check what you already own, read how to tell if silver is real before you buy online.
Two practical notes. Toe rings that feel fine at seven in the morning can feel snug by moonrise after a day on your feet, so an adjustable band or the right size matters. And most of our pieces are made to order, with dispatch usually in 2 to 5 working days, not counting Sundays and public holidays. If you need something in your hands by 29 October, message us before you order and we will tell you honestly whether it will make it.
If you are building the foot pieces from scratch, our guides to silver toe ring designs and choosing a daily wear payal go into fit and weight. For the nose, the silver nose pin guide explains wire versus clip-on, and if you are wearing a saree, this piece on silver with ethnic wear will help you balance it.
Frequently asked questions
When is Karwa Chauth in 2026?
Karwa Chauth 2026 is on Thursday 29 October in India. Drik Panchang lists the New Delhi puja muhurat as 5:38 PM to 6:56 PM and moonrise at 8:17 PM. Moonrise varies by city, and panchangs set to US cities place the festival on Wednesday 28 October, so check your local listing.
Which toe is the bichiya worn on?
The bichiya is traditionally worn on the second toe of both feet, as a pair. Some women add a ring on the middle toe or a wider ring on the big toe for style, but the second toe is the traditional place. Choose a size or adjustable band that sits snugly without pinching.
Can unmarried girls wear toe rings?
In many North Indian families, toe rings are kept for married women, because they are read as a sign of marriage. Plenty of unmarried women wear them anyway as everyday jewellery, especially in cities. It depends on your family and community, so if you are visiting relatives during the festival, ask first.
Is solah shringar compulsory on Karwa Chauth?
No. Solah shringar is a tradition, not a rule, and the list itself changes by region. Many women wear the core pieces, sindoor, bindi, mangalsutra, bangles, bichiya and payal, and keep the bridal extras for weddings. What matters in most families is that you feel dressed for the day.
Your solah shringar list, made simple
The solah shringar list is sixteen adornments from the parting of your hair to your toes, and the version your family keeps is the right one. If you only buy carefully for a few of them, make it the pieces you will wear long after the festival: the payal and the bichiya, in real silver, made to be lived in. Real Silver. Made to be worn every day.
