Inside Tihar Jail, Women Inmates Keep Karva Chauth Fast as Families Rush to Visit

At Tihar's Central Jail No. 6 in New Delhi, between 250 and 300 of the 608 women inmates are observing the Karva Chauth fast this year, according to prison officials.

Authorities arranged festive supplies including fruits, sweets, mathri and feni for the pre-dawn sargi meal, while regular jail meals continued as usual. The jail superintendent said the festival is marked inside the prison much like in any household, with inmates supporting one another's traditions regardless of religion, including Muslim women assisting their Hindu counterparts.

The day before the fast, the women's section saw inmates visiting an in-house parlour and applying henna to each other's hands. Inmates are allowed to buy clothes and food through prison facilities, with costs deducted from their accounts, and can also get garments custom-stitched at the jail's tailoring unit or receive clothes from family.

In the evening, the women were expected to gather for a traditional retelling of the Karva Chauth story by an older inmate before waiting to sight the moon. However, since inmates must return to their cells before sunset around 6 p.m., many will not get a direct view of the moon and will instead rely on photos or television before ending their fast. Jail staff planned to photograph the women to mark the occasion.

Across Tihar's nine jails, about 1,200 family visit slots were booked for the festival day, including more than 50 for women in Jail No. 6, as relatives sought to meet inmates observing the fast. While daily visit limits normally apply, officials said extra slots could be arranged in some cases so spouses could meet during the festival, though visiting hours themselves were not extended.

For some families, the day underscored the separation caused by imprisonment. One man, due to visit his wife who has been jailed for two years in a murder case, bought her a red saree she had requested, saying he picked it from the shop she used to frequent — though he will not get to see her wearing it.