Karva Chauth
Karwa Chauth is a festival celebrated by Hindu women from the Indian Subcontinent on the fourth day after Purnima (a full moon) in the month of Kartika. Like many Hindu festivals, Karwa Chauth is based on the lunisolar calendar which accounts for all astronomical positions, especially positions of the moon which is used as a marker to calculate important dates. The festival falls on the fourth day after the full moon, in the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Kartik.
On Karwa Chauth, married women, especially in North India, observe fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. The Karwa Chauth fast is traditionally celebrated in the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It is celebrated as Atla Tadde in Andhra Pradesh.
Karva Chauth is a significant festival celebrated across Northern India. On Karva Chauth, a festival that falls 10 days after Dussehra, married women pray for the long life and well-being of their husbands. It is considered as one of the most challenging fasts because women only eat or drink after offering Arghya to the Moon with an earthen pot known as Karva.
Widely celebrated in India by Hindu women, Karva Chauth is a festival where married women observe a fast on the fourth day after Purnima in the month of Kartika. The day coincides with Sankashti Chaturthi, a fasting day observed for Lord Ganesha. Additionally, each state in the country commemorates this festival differently.
On Karva Chauth, married women in North India wake up early before sunrise to eat 'sargi' - a meal usually prepared by their mother-in-law. The meal usually consists of vermicelli, milk, and dry fruits. After this meal, they do not consume even a drop of water until the moon appears in the evening.
Etymology and origins
Karva is another word for 'pot' (a small earthen pot of water) and chauth means 'fourth' (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). In Sanskrit scriptures, the festival is addressed as Kark Chaturthi, Kark meaning a earthen water pitcher and Chaturthi denotes fourth day of lunar Hindu month.
Karwa Chauth is mostly celebrated in Northern India. One hypothesis is that military campaigns were often conducted by men in far off places whereby men would leave their wives and children at home to go off to the war. Their wives would often pray for their safe return. The festival also coincides with the wheat-sowing time (i.e., the beginning of the Rabi crop cycle). Big earthen pots in which wheat is stored are sometimes called Karwas, so the fast may have begun as a prayer for a good harvest in this predominantly wheat-eating Northwestern region.
Another story about the origin of this festival relates to the bond of feminine friendship. With the custom of arranged marriage being prevalent, the newlywed is supposed to reside with her husband and in-laws. Being new to the family, the custom arose of befriending another woman as her friend (kangan-saheli) or sister (dharam-behn) for life. The friendship would be sanctified through a Hindu ritual during the marriage ceremony itself. The bride's friend would usually be of the same age (or slightly older), typically married into the same village (so that she would not go away) and not directly related to her in-laws (so there was no conflict of interest later). This emotional and psychological bond would be considered akin to a blood relationship. It is said that Karva Chauth festival evolved to include celebrating this special bond of friendship.
A few days before Karva Chauth, married women would buy new Karwas (spherical clay pots)—7-9" in diameter and 2–3 litres capacity—and paint them on the outside with beautiful designs. Inside, they would put bangles and ribbons, home-made candy and sweets, make-up items, and small clothes. The women would then visit each other on the day of Karwa Chauth and exchange these Karwas.
History
On Karva Chauth, women pray to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to Hindu mythology, a queen named Veeravati visited her brothers during Karva Chauth. As time went by, she started to feel a little faint and eagerly waited for the Moon to break her fast. After seeing her plight, Veeravati's brothers decided to trick her into breaking her fast. Seeing a Moon-like object in the sky, she broke her fast. Unfortunately, the moment she did, the news of her husband's death arrived.
After learning about the trick, Veeravati promised to hold a fast every month with full devotion and prayed to the Gods. Finally, she got her husband back.
Significance
The festival of Karva Chauth is a celebration of marriage. On this day, married women observe a nirjala vrat (fasting without water). They also pray for a healthy, prosperous, and long life for their husbands. Women worship Karva Mata, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Kartikeya on this day and take a sankalpa (pledge) to observe the vrat with utmost devotion and sincerity. Additionally, women begin their fast from sunrise and don't consume even a drop of water, let alone food, until they see the moon. Fasting women also apply henna to their hands and deck up in make-up, clothes and jewellery. Though, popular culture has told us that during Karva Chauth, women fast throughout the day and deck up in beautiful clothes and jewellery. The actual traditions vary in each state. For instance, in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, women pass pots called karvas among themselves, seeing the moon's reflection in the water or through a sieve. After this, they offer water to the moon and then drink water from their husband's hands. Women then break their fast and eat.
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