Karwa Chauth – With love to my husband
A faith tradition, Karwa Chauth is a complete festival in modern times. Celebrating Karwachauth, married Hindu women observe a day-long fast for the long life of their husband. Women undertake this rigorous fast with full devotion and enthusiasm. By observing Karva Chauth vrat, women express love for their husband and rejuvenate their married life. In modern India, Karwa Chauth is more like Valentine’s Day for married couples: a day to express love and reaffirm wedding vows.
It is interesting to note that the popularity of the ancient Karwa Chauth festival is increasing with each passing year. Even in today’s age of jet speed, modern Indian women have kept their faith in ancient Indian scriptures and traditions. Women today observe the fast by carrying out all the prescribed rituals with total devotion.
When is Karwa Chauth celebrated?
The Karwa Chauth festival is celebrated at Kartik ki chauth. This signifies the fourth day (chauth) of the waning moon or the dark fortnight of the auspicious Hindu month of Kartik. According to the Gregorian calendar, Kartik corresponds to October-November. Karwachauth day comes about nine days before the Diwali festival.
Legends behind Karwa Chauth
A popular legend behind Karwa Chauth tells the story of Savitri and Satyavan. It is said that when Lord Yamaraj came to take Satyavan’s life, Savitri desperately begged Yamraj to spare her husband, but Yamraj refused. Savitri then undertook a rigorous fast and vowed not to eat or drink until Yamraj granted her wish. Yamaraj was moved by Savitri’s devotion and felt compelled to bestow Satyavan’s life. Since then, women have been observing the Karwa Chauth fast throughout the long life of her husband.
According to another widely recognized legend, Queen Veeravati was once made to break her fast by looking at the false moon displayed by her seven beloved brothers who could not see their dearest sister go hungry for so long. But as soon as Veeravati dined, her husband died. Veeravati ran to her husband’s palace upon receiving the news. On her way, Goddess Parvati explained to Veeravati that her husband died because she did not observe the fast properly. Veeravati begged for forgiveness and following the advice of Parvati Ma, she completed the rigorous fast of Karwa Chauth under strict conditions. Pleased with the queen’s devotion, Goddess Parvati revived the life of her husband.
Preparing for Karwa Chauth
Karwa Chauth is celebrated as a great festival in modern times. Elaborate preparations are made for the occasion days of the festival. While some wear their wedding attire, others shop for new saris for the big day. Glass bangles, bindis, jewelry, shoes, etc. are bought. matching to complete the set. However, the most colorful scene of the festival can be seen on the eve of Karwa Chauth, when women line up straight before the mehendiwalas to get the most intricate henna pattern on the palm of their hand. Long lines of mehendi can be seen until the middle of the night. Husbands and sons come along with wives, which makes the market more aggressive.
Karwa Chauth Fast
Preparations for the Karwa Chauth fast are made before sunrise. Suhagins (married Hindu women) wake up around 4 am and take their bath. After performing the daily prayers, the women of the family come together and eat food collectively called ‘sargi’. Aside from food, sargi also includes fruits and sweets. Traditionally, the sargi is given to the woman by her mother-in-law. After the sargi, the women who observe the Karwa Chauth fast do not consume a single morsel of food or a drop of water. Some modern women who find fasting too intense consume water or milk during the day. Pregnant or sick women are also given some wiggle room during the fast and are allowed to consume fruits or any other food deemed necessary in their condition. Interestingly, many loving husbands also observe a fast for the sake of their wife. Although there is no such tradition, they do it out of love for their wife. The rigorous Karwa Chauth fast is broken only after moonrise, which usually occurs after 8 p.m.
Karwa Chauth Puja Process
Karwa Chauth puja takes place during the afternoon. A group of brightly dressed women gather in a house or on the temple premises to carry out the process. The women sit in the form of a circle in the center of which is placed the cow dung image of Gaura Ma and a Karva (pitcher) on a raised platform. Women place teeka on the idol of Gaura Ma and seek blessings for a long and happy married life. An old woman narrates the story of Karwa Chauth vrat, and intermittently the women rotate their berry-filled thalis while reciting the Karwachauth song, “Chand chade te pani peena…” After the puja, the women converse and return to their respective homes. These days, women also play indoor games just to have fun and pass the time until the moon rises.
Breaking the fast with Moon-rise
After the bidding ends, a desperate wait for the moonrise begins. Thirsty and familiar, the women, her husband and her children continue to visit the terrace to see if the moon has risen. News channels also herald the moonrise for the benefit of anxious women.
When the moon rises, the women go to the terrace or open space with a thali containing a small jar of water, a piece of mithai and a diya. Women look at the moon through a sieve or a chalani and then look at their husband in the same way. After offering worship to the Moon God, the women drink water from her husband’s hand and break their fast with a sweet. Traditional Hindu women also touch their husbands’ feet at this point.
Karwa Chauth – Tradition of Gifts
After breaking the fast, women present berry to their saas or mother-in-law. Usually the berry includes mathris, almonds, and a gift for the mother-in-law. Sometimes cash is also given instead of a gift. This berry is the same one that was spun in the thali during the puja.
Impressed with their wife’s devotion, husbands also please their wife with a gift. Popular Karwa Chauth gifts for wife include jewelry, saree and fashion accessories.
sumptuous dinner
After starving for so long, the women look forward to a sumptuous dinner. Nowadays, couples prefer to go out to enjoy a lavish dinner in restaurants, as wives feel too lethargic to prepare a dinner themselves. No wonder, a huge rush can be seen in restaurants on Karwa Chauth night.