Karwa Chauth

Hi Ladies

This year is my first Karwa Chauth, on 29th October...its a highly celebrated festival in North India. Many of you here wouldnt be aware of this festival. For those who are interested to know please read on.

'Karwa Chauth' is a ritual of fasting observed by married Hindu women seeking the longevity, well-being and prosperity of their husbands. It is popular amongst married women in the northern and western parts of India, especially, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
This festival comes 9 days before Diwali on 'kartik ki chauth', i.e., on the fourth day of the new moon immediately after Dusshera, in the month of 'Karthik' (October-November).

The Meaning
The term 'Chauth' means the 'fourth day' and 'Karwa' is an earthen pot with a spout - a symbol of peace and prosperity - that is necessary for the rituals. Hence the name 'Karwa Chauth'.

The Ritual
Married women keep a strict fast and do not take even a drop of water. They get up early in the morning, perform their ablutions, and wear new and festive raiment. Shiva, Parvati and their son Kartikeya are worshipped on this day along with the 10 'karwas' (earthen pots) filled with sweets. The Karwas are given to daughters and sisters along with gifts.

The Fast
It is the most important and difficult fast observed by married Hindu women. (Unmarried women, widows, and spinsters are barred from observing this fast.) It begins before sunrise and ends only after offering prayers and worshipping the moon at night. No food or water can be taken after sunrise. The fast is broken once the moon is sighted and rituals of the day have been performed. At night when the moon appears, women break their fast after offering water to the moon.

The Custom
In the evening, women dress up in special clothes, usually a red or pink sari or 'lehenga-choli' with gold woven 'zari' patterns. New brides often wear their bridal costume. All deck up in jewelry and wear 'mehendi' or henna patterns especially on the hands. Decorative 'bindis' on the forehead are a must for all women taking part in this celebration. Fasting women from all over the neighborhood gather in a group and narrate mythological stories that underscore the significance of Karwa Chauth. And, of couse, all wives expect lavish gifts from their husbands!
The fast of Karwa Chawth truly sets the merry tone of the fun and frolic, festivity and feasting that come in good measure during Diwali — the biggest festival of the Hindus.

~Abha

Hey Abha,

after watching serials on star plus i came to know about karwa chauth and now you gave a wonderful description about it. Thanks for the information.

can anyone observe the fast???? and is there any tradition like if your family do you have to do ( i belong to south india and no one from our family knows about it)

cheers
sreelatha

Hey

if someone wants to observe the fast then they can its their wish... in delhi i had a south indian neighbour who out of curiosity started doing karwa chauth and she still does it... but then there are a lot of things you have to do... giving gifts to MIL and a lot of traditions are involved which vary from family to family... but you dont need to do all that, you just observer the fast and do the "Katha" and then break the fast seeing the moon, that is the core of the festival.

~Abha

dear friend,
i am northindian who has been observing this fast for last 4 yrs (since marriage).
this time i am 10 weeks preg & feel hungry all the time.also remaining hungry leads to nausea & low blood pressure in me .the doc says that at this time the babies brain is growing so i need proper diet.
i am in dilemma what to do.practically i know i should not do ,even my husband is strictly saying no ,but i am confused.also we r in Nigeria so there is very little chance of getting seviya ,karva etc.
really ,i donot know.what do u ladies think .

Dear Abha,
Similar to the karwa chauth Sindhis have the same ritual of Teejri.

TeejriTiming of the festival
Teejri falls normally on the 3rd day after the full moon falling in August (month of Shrawan).
Who observes Teejri and why is this observed?
Married Sindhi women pray and keep a fast for the health of their husband while unmarried girls/women who have reached pubert may pray for marital bliss. If you are of ill health you should consult your doctor before fasting.
What is the story behind Teejri?
According to holy books the Goddess Parvati fasted and prayed fervently for the great Lord Shiva to become her spouse. Touched by her devotion, he took her for his wife. Goddess Parvati, in gratitude, sent her emissary to preach and disseminate this religious fasting among mortal women, promising prosperity and longevity with their family. Thus was born the festival of Teej.
The observer beautifies herself adorning her body with ornaments, dresses in bright colors and decorates her hands and feet with mehndi/henna.
Teejri
The sindhi ladies’s observe Teejri for the well being of their husbands. This falls on the third day of the moonlit fortnight of the month of sravan. On the eve of this day,women apply mehendi on their hands. They wake before sunrise and eat something(Asur). From then on they are not allowed to drink even water untill they have prayed to Teejri mata. Green gram is sprouted in a plate or obtained from a pandit and swaying of the teejri is done .A mixture of sugar and water is poured into the sprouted beans and the ladies drink a little of this mixture. From then on, they are allowed to drink water. In the evening after sunset a puja is done again and the pandit or his wife’s tells of the significance of this fast. Following this puja, they stop drinking water again till the sighting of the moon. Prasad is then distributed and the fast broken.
It is easy to regard this as a chauvinistic attitude emphasizing the importance of the husband. After all few pujas are done by husbands for the well being of their wives!
However, it is essential to look beyond the obvious. While the husband’s well being is considered central to the happiness of the family, it is the wife who plays the critical role behind the scenes, caring, nurturing and praying for them. These rituals recognize the strength of the woman and her inner commitment to family and happiness for ever after.

hi

nice information and as well celebrate in andhra pradesh......

bye

Very good information. I am fron the south but lived in the North so familiar with this. I am thinking of observing too.

Dear Abha,
Nice post. And it is nice to know that it is your first Karwa Chauth. Tell us what did your husband gift you? What did you ask for and did he give you what you asked?

Ok pls clarify me this thing. In the film DDLJ, Kajol is not married, but she practices Karwa Chauth. You say that unmarried women are banned from this. But .....

Ok one more question what did you gift your MIL?

hi,

this 'karwa chauth' is shown well in the film 'dilwale dhulania le jayenge'. but still i had my own doubts. they have been clarified by you. thank you very much for the information.

regards,

vanaja

HI

actually karwa chauth is on 29th october so yet to do it.... well i'll just shop for wateverr i want... this giving gifts is just how the market tries to manipulate and capture the festival.. otherwise there is no tradition as such between the husband and wife... however there is the tradition of giving to MIL... that i'll do wen i go to India... and in fact she has to give me the gifts first and when i have observed the fast i give to her later...

actually as i said traditions vary from family to family... if the guy and girl are engaged it has become a fashion to observe the fast...however this is not so in my In laws family so even i was engaged last year but never observed the fast... Kajol does it in the movie cos she and parmeet sethi are engaged...

~Abha

Originally Posted by rajmiarun

Dear Abha,
Nice post. And it is nice to know that it is your first Karwa Chauth. Tell us what did your husband gift you? What did you ask for and did he give you what you asked?

Ok pls clarify me this thing. In the film DDLJ, Kajol is not married, but she practices Karwa Chauth. You say that unmarried women are banned from this. But .....

Ok one more question what did you gift your MIL?