Karwa Chauth Solah Shringar: The Significance Of The 16 Traditional Adornments

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By the time the moon rises over New Delhi at around 8.17 pm on 29 October, many women who began their fast at sunrise will have spent hours dressing for it. Hair oiled and braided. A red mark on the forehead. Bangles stacked to the elbow. Drik Panchang lists the New Delhi moonrise at 8:17 PM and the fast beginning at 6:31 AM. The dressing in between is Karwa Chauth Solah Shringar, the ritual of sixteen adornments at the centre of the festival.

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Solah means sixteen and shringar means adornment. Tradition traces the idea to Rati, who was blessed by the goddess Lakshmi with sixteen adornments to win over Kamdev. It is not only a bridal rite. It is also performed on religious occasions and festivals, and medieval queens followed it for public appearances.

Sixteen Steps, Many Versions

Ask three households for the list and the answers will differ. One account of Karwa Chauth dressing includes toe rings and alta alongside the usual sindoor, bangles and bindi. Others count the outfit itself as the sixteenth. Regional custom, family habit and personal taste all shift the count.

The number carries its own symbolism. One popular account holds that the sixteen steps correspond to the sixteen phases of the moon. It is a belief rather than a fact, but a fitting one for a festival that ends only when the moon appears.

The Crown And The Face

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Traditionally, the process begins with oiling and washing the hair. Then come the sindoor, maangtika, flowers or gajra in the hair, bindi and kajal.

Sindoor carries the most weight. It is a red powder applied to the parting of the hair, and one description likens its significance to the ring in Western weddings. Another account describes it as a symbol of marriage and the husband's life. The maangtika sits at the centre of the parting. The bindi is often called the first adornment of all, while kajal makes the eyes look more prominent.

Ears, Nose And Neck

The karn phool means flower of the ears. The nath, or nose ring, is traditionally worn on the left nostril by married women, while styles differ across cultures and regions. One account links it with the blessings of Goddess Parvati for love and harmony. The haar, or necklace, often includes the mangalsutra.

Hands, Waist And Feet

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Bangles and the bajuband come first. The kada or kangan is read as a sign of a woman's strength, identity and culture. The hathphool, literally a flower of the hand, blends a bracelet and a ring. Mehendi on the hands and feet follows.

At the waist, the kamarband is normally a metal belt. At the ankles, the payal is usually silver. Gold is avoided because it is associated with Lakshmi, and silver anklets are linked with humility and melody.

Itar, or fragrance, keeps the wearer smelling fresh through long rituals. The last is the outfit, and many women rewear their wedding saree, considered auspicious.

Why Karwa Chauth Calls For All Sixteen

On this festival, married women adorn themselves with Solah Shringar just before the puja. The dressing is rarely a solo affair. Traditionally, it was done with the help of female friends and relatives. For many women, the hour spent being dressed, hennaed and fussed over is as much a part of the day as the fast.

That is also why it deserves some planning. A day without food or water, a heavy outfit and a tight waistband can make an uncomfortable mix.

The Adornment To Check Twice

Some of these items go on the skin, near the eyes and mouth. A US study of 118 samples, published in the American Journal of Public Health, found unsafe lead levels in sindoor. Oregon health officials flagged sindoor, kumkum and kohl, noting that children and pregnant women are most vulnerable. A 2026 study in Nepal found lead in 40 percent of sindoor samples, and the World Health Organisation maintains that no level of lead exposure is safe.

A few sensible habits before the evening:

• Choose sindoor, kumkum and kajal from brands that list ingredients, and treat unlabelled loose powders with caution.
• Keep these products away from children and avoid using them in pregnancy.
• Patch-test mehendi on a small area of skin a day or two ahead.
• Remove everything gently before sleep, especially around the eyes.

Tradition, Trimmed To Taste

The full sixteen is no longer a rule. The ritual has lost much of its mythological association and is often seen as a makeover, with beauticians now doing the work. Many modern women skip the waistband, anklets and hathphool in favour of a minimalist look. Another account notes that modern women adapt the ritual to regional custom, personal style and practicality.