INDIAN FESTIVAL :: KARWA CHAUTH ( festival of love )

Etymology and origins. Karva is another word for 'pot' (a small earthen pot of water) and chauth means 'fourth' in Hindi (a reference to the fact that the festival falls on the fourth day of the dark-fortnight, or krishna paksh, of the month of Kartik

Karva Chauth is a one-day festival celebrated by Hindu women in Northern India, in which married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. The fast is traditionally celebrated in the states of Rajasthan, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. The festival falls on the fourth day after the full moon, in the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Kartik. Sometimes, unmarried women join the fast for their fiancés or desired husbands.

History of Karwa Chauth

There are several stories related to Karwa Chuath and how the festival came into being. While some are from mythology, some are also related to circumstances due to which it started. We list a few such stories related to the festival.

Story about the origin of Karwa Chauth is how this festival gained so much popularity in Northern India. It is believed that this festival falls at a time when most men would set on a long journey for military assignments. And hence women used to observe fasts on this day so that their husbands are safe and live long. These are some stories that are associated with Karwa Chauth. Apart from these, there are also some really interesting mythological stories as to how this festival came into existence. Let us take you through some of the mythological stories of Karwa Chauth and its origin.

Another legend of Karwa Chauth is that Yama had once come to take away Satyavan’s life and soul. Savitri who was Satyavan’s wife pleaded to him to give his life back. Yet again, like in the other story, Yama refused. Savitri , however was adamant and to make her wish come true, she completely stopped drinking anything and even eating. And she made it a point to follow Yama where ever he went with her husband’s body. Yama upon seeing this asked her to demand for anything else but her husband’s life. To which, Savitri asked him to bless her with children since she couldn’t even imagine anybody else being the father of her kids. This left Yama with no choice and granted her wish and brought her husband back to life.

How karwa is celebrated::

Women wake up before dawn and eat sargi which is given by their mother-in-law. They also dress up by wearing something festive, applying mehendi and make-up. They refrain from doing household chores on Karwa Chauth and in the evening attend a puja with other married women. An old married woman reads out stories related to Karwa Chauth and then women exchange their puja thalis by passing them around in circles.These have things like bangles, sindoor, mehendi and other items that are considered important for a married woman. After the puja, women usually have a glass of juice or something to eat that is considered acceptable during fasts. They then patiently wait for the moon to show up. In the night, the wife performs a small ritual by looking at the moon and then its reflection in the water which is in the pot or karwa. Then, they look at it through a sieve or chhailni and then look at their husband’s face. The husband offers the wife water from the same pot and then feeds her something sweet which is when the fast is broken. Husbands also gift their wife something, thanking them for their effort. They then eat a proper meal.

Pictures of my mother celebrating karwa chauth::

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