Sargi
Before dawn the mother-in-law gives the daughter-in-law the sargi: sweets, fruits, dry fruit, mathri and the marks of a married woman. She eats it before sunrise, and then the fast begins.
The evening puja
In the evening, dressed as brides, the women gather. On the wall or on a board a picture of Gauri (or Chauth Mata) with Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya is drawn or placed. Each woman sets a karwa filled with water or grain, with a lid and a lamp, and a plate with sweets, sindoor, rice and flowers.
Ganesha and Gauri are worshipped, and the katha of Karwa Chauth is told, of Veeravati and her brothers. The women pass their plates around the circle seven times while singing. They pray for their husbands and touch the feet of the elders.
Moonrise
When the Moon rises, each woman looks at it through a sieve, then at her husband, and offers water to the Moon from the karwa. Her husband gives her the first sip of water and the first bite of food, ending the fast. The karwa and the plate of gifts are given to the mother-in-law.
Keeping the fast safely
The fast is without water, so the sargi should include water-rich fruit and the day should be spent quietly out of the sun. Pregnant women, the unwell and the elderly may keep it with water or fruit; the prayer, not hardship, is what matters.