Karwa Chauth – A Celebration of Love and Commitment

Karwa Chauth – India is a beautiful country. It is known for its traditions and cultures. This is a country with various festivals. One such occasion is Karwa Chauth. It is celebrated by married women for the long life of their husbands. On this occasion, they do a day fast. This is not an ordinary fast like other fasts, as in it not only the food but the consumption of water is also not allowed during the fasting period, which lasts over 12 hours. This is a great sacrifice that shows love for one’s partner.

The festival falls on Chaturthi (the fourth day after the full moon) in the month of Kartik, according to the Hindu calendar. Married women fast for the well-being and long life of their husbands, and unmarried women, fast for their desired husbands.

On the day of Karwa Chauth, women wake up early in the morning before the sun rises, approximately at 4. Then eat specially meant food for this fast known as “sargi” and drink water. Then, they can not even drink a single drop of water or eat anything for the whole day. In the evening, women gather to hear the stories associated with this celebration from the vrat katha book. After that starts the long wait to see the moon with karva chauth thali and pooja samagri. Fast is complete and successful after seeing the moon. You can also buy a karva chauth gift for husband while expecting to receive presents from your mother-in-law as well as your husband.

The History of Karwa Chauth

Story of Veeravati: Veeravati was the loving sister of seven brothers, and on her first Karwa Chauth after marriage, she was at her brother’s place. The whole day she kept fasting, but her brothers couldn’t see her hungry, so they showed her fire in far mountains and made her believe it was the moon. After worshipping that, she ended her fast, but it resulted in the death of her husband, and then for the whole year, she kept fasting on every Chaturthi and finally, on the next Karwa Chauth, she was blessed with her husband’s life.

Story of Karva: another famous story of Karwa Chauth is about Karva, who was so devoted to her husband that her love and dedication to her husband blessed her with spiritual power. One day while bathing in a river, a crocodile caught her husband, but she bound the crocodile with yarn and asked Yama either to send the crocodile to hell or to be cursed. Yama, scared of the curse of a pativrata (devoted) wife, sent a crocodile to hell and blessed Karva’s husband with a long life.

Celebration

On this day, women keep fasting the whole day. In Punjab, there is a trend of eating sargi before sunrise, but in other parts of Northern India, it’s not. For the whole day, females keep fasting for their husbands. In the evening, women wear new clothes, jewellery, and Heena art (mehndi). Colony women perform puja together, and many of them tell the story of Karwa Chauth. After the puja, women worship the moon and end their fast.

The women give water to each other with seven water sips. They are asked if they are satisfied or not, and they reply with water but not suhaag, and on the seventh sip, they reply with water and suhaag, both of which are satisfied. It symbolizes asking for the same husband for seven lives. It’s also a trend in a few places that after the moon, husbands are worshipped, and they end their wives’ fast with water.

Many people believe that this is only an exploitation of women and that this type of activity should be discontinued. They blame orthodox beliefs for this. It is supposed that this festival will die with time and the new generation will not accept it. But things have gone in another way, opposite to what is considered. More and more new generation newly married young women receive it. This festival is successful not only with the latest generation but has increased its penetration in other parts of India.

Many men across the country also observe women and Karwa Chauth fast. This provides a great way to show and share emotions. This fast provides a way to show love. This fast helps the couples make their lives more acceptable to each other and shows how strong they are associated with each other. People against this fast may say anything, but this festival will remain for more time in India and enjoy a good status in married women’s life.