As of last night’s autumn equinox, 22 September at 7.20 pm, we’ve officially entered astronomical autumn. Today is the first day we’ll feel its effects: sunsets will begin creeping earlier, nights will grow longer, and the rhythm of our lives subtly shifts.
For most people in Britain, the equinox signals the arrival of shorter days, darker evenings, and a change of wardrobe. But for South Asian communities across the UK, the equinox and the coming clock change touch something deeper. They intersect with prayer timings, fasting traditions, and festival calendars in ways that highlight how cultural and religious life remains rooted in cosmic cycles of sun and moon.
Prayer timings shift for Muslims
The equinox is especially significant for Muslims because it reshapes the daily prayer schedule. With five prayers fixed by the position of the sun, shifts in light become instantly noticeable.
After the equinox, Maghrib (sunset prayer) begins earlier with each passing evening, while Fajr (dawn prayer) moves later. For many, this makes mornings less rushed, but evenings more tightly structured around prayer.
“After the equinox, we notice prayer times shifting every day; Fajr comes later and Maghrib earlier. It is a reminder that our worship is tied to creation itself, and believers adjust their daily lives around these natural signs.” — Imam Naeem Torawala
It’s also a reminder of how the Islamic lunar calendar interacts with the solar year. Ramadan, which cycles through every season, can bring long summer fasts or short winter ones. While Ramadan 2026 will fall in February–March, the equinox highlights the contrast many recall: the testing endurance of summer fasts compared with the relative ease of winter, when nights stretch long.
Karva Chauth: Devotion, discipline, and the Moon
One upcoming date to mark is Karva Chauth, which in 2025 will be observed on Friday, 10 October. In the UK, many Hindu women observe the tradition by fasting from sunrise until moonrise, praying for the health, well-being, and longevity of their husbands.
This is a strict fast often nirjala, meaning without water, broken only when the moon rises and rituals are performed with a sieve, a lamp, and a glimpse of the moon through symbolic objects.
The word Karva refers to a clay pot, used as part of the ceremony, while Chauth means the fourth, pointing to the festival’s timing on the fourth day of the Krishna Paksha (waning lunar phase) in the month of Kartik.
The ritual is both practical and cosmic: it embodies devotion, sacrifice, and discipline, but it also acknowledges the cycles of the moon. In autumn, with earlier moonrise, the fast feels slightly easier than during long summer nights. Many South Asian families in Britain gather together to sight the moon, turning the ritual into a communal moment of anticipation.
“The equinox reminds us how closely our festivals follow the cycles of the sun and moon. For Karva Chauth, earlier moonrise in autumn can make the fast more manageable, while Navratri is a time when light, music, and devotion bring people together as nights grow longer.” — Pandit Arun Joshi
Navratri: Nine nights of the feminine divine
Just before Karva Chauth comes Sharada Navratri, which in 2025 runs from 22 September to 2 October. Its very name tells its meaning: nava (nine) and ratri (nights). Over nine nights and ten days, devotees worship the Goddess Durga in her many forms, from nurturing Shailaputri, “daughter of the mountains,” to the fierce Kalaratri, who destroys ignorance.
Navratri is a time of fasting, prayer, music, dance, and ritual colour. For diaspora communities in the UK, it often means evenings filled with garba and dandiya dances, temple worship, and community gatherings. The festival also highlights the role of light: as nights lengthen, Navratri celebrations shine all the brighter.
Diwali: The festival of lights
Following Navratri and Karva Chauth, Diwali or Deepavali arrives in late October. Its Sanskrit name means “row of lamps,” and its symbolism feels especially relevant after the equinox. As nights dominate, homes, temples, and streets glow with diyas (lamps) and fireworks, celebrating the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil.
For many South Asians in the UK, Diwali is both religious and cultural: a festival of worship, family, food, and gathering. Against the backdrop of autumn’s long nights, its message resonates more strongly than ever.
Adjusting to the season & clock change
Alongside these observances comes Britain’s clock change: on October 26 at 2.00 am, clocks go back an hour. For South Asian communities, these further shift prayer timings, puja schedules, and moon-sightings. Community organisations and temples often publish muhurtas (auspicious timings) to help families navigate rituals against this shifting backdrop of sun and moon.
A shared interconnectedness
Whether it’s prayer times, fasts, or festivals, the autumn equinox is more than an astronomical milestone. It’s a cosmic reminder that South Asian traditions remain deeply entwined with the Earth’s cycles. For communities in Britain, it is not just the start of autum it is a season that shapes faith, devotion, and celebration.
Glossary of Key Terms
- Equinox – From Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). A day when daylight and darkness are nearly equal.
- Karva Chauth – Karva (clay pot, symbol of abundance) + Chauth (fourth day of lunar fortnight). A Hindu fast observed by married women for their husbands’ well-being.
- Nirjala – A strict fast meaning “without water.”
- Krishna Paksha – The waning phase of the moon in the lunar month.
- Navratri – From Sanskrit nava (nine) and ratri (nights). Nine nights of worship dedicated to Goddess Durga.
- Garba / Dandiya – Traditional Gujarati dance forms performed during Navratri.
- Diwali / Deepavali – From dipavali (row of lamps). Festival of lights celebrating the victory of good over evil.
- Maghrib & Fajr – Two of the five daily Muslim prayers, at sunset and dawn.
- Ramadan – The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, marked by fasting from dawn to sunset.
- Muhurtas – Auspicious timings for rituals, calculated by astrologers and priests.
