Karwa chouth 2013 Special

Tuesday, October 22

 Karva Chauth 2013 

     The fast of Karwa Chauth is kept 9 days before Diwali. It falls on the fourth day of the Kartik month by the Hindu calendar (fourth day of the waning moon or the dark fortnight). Karwa Chauth is considered one of the most important fasts observed by the married Hindu women. On this day the women pray for the welfare and long life of their husbands. It is the most important and difficult fast observed by married Hindu women. It begins before sunrise and ends only after offering prayers and worshipping the moon at night.

         Karva Chauth' an age old tradition has become glamorised and more keenly celebrated now than it ever was. A big factor behind this change is Hindi films. From Karva Chauth songs to colourful decorations, and from well-dressed wives with all their accessories in place to the picturesque vision of diyas floating in the lakes, the moon surely looks more beautiful on this day than any other! Though we have seen Karva Chauth scenes in a few recent movies, one of the earliest films to have a Karva...

            Karva Chauth fast is celebrated mainly by the Hindus in the North Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Karva Chauth falls on the fourth day of waxing moon period in the Hindu month of Kartik (Hindu lunisolar calendar). Married women (few unmarried girls & engaged girls too) observe the Karwachauth fast with great enthusiasm & fervor from sunrise till moonrise for the well being of their husband.

        The festival of Karva Chauth also coincides with wheat sowing season so it might be the Karvachauth fast is observed for good wheat crops because the big earthen pots in which wheat grains are stored are called Karvas.

Karva chauth rituals mainly include shopping, Karva chauth sargi, Karva chauth mehndi, bayna, Karva chauth story, Karvachauth moon puja.

Karva Chauth Shopping

  Whatever, might be the reason but this Indian festival Women start shopping clothes,jewellery,cosmetics, karva (earthen pot with a nozzle), Karva thalis, sweets & other accessories  as per region days before Karvachauth because they want to look their best on the day of fast. Shops and malls are full of latest things for the festive season. Hordes of women start frequenting their near by beauty parlors few days prior to Karvachauth. The shopkeepers and parlors have gala time because women spend generously for umpteen Karvachauth celebrations & shopping.

Karva Chauth Sargi

 

On the day of Karva Chauth,most of the parts of India women wake up early in the morning to have the traditional sargi which includes mathi, coconut, pheni, fruits, parantha, vegetables, sweets, tea or milk. Generaly the Karva Chauth sargi is gifted to women by their mother-in-law. This is mainly celebrated in punjab ,Karvachauth sargi is had before the dawn breaks i.e. when the sky is full of stars. That is early in the morning before sun rise.This is also come to know that in the morning , wife only can take sargi only when his husband tap on his back saying that "wake up Take sargi, then after women take her sargi and fasts whole day from water & food till moon rise.

 

      Applying Mehndi or Henna on hands a day prior to Karvachauth is a common practice. Generally few days prior women start hunting for mehndi wallas to decorate their palms with best mehndi designs. In many cities there are special streets full of mehndi artists but those who can’t get mehndi done from mehndi artists we bring them select easy to do Karva Chauth mehndi designs for hands, feet & back of hands. Take a look…

Karva chauth legend (story)

     As we know in India Every Indian festival having a story behind it and it is incomplete without it. Karwachouth also having a story. Its is known as that Karwa chouth vart is incomplete without its pooja Process and its story.In the evening, all married women fully jeweled and having their thalis & Karva for Karva Chauth puja. Karvachauth katha (story) is narrated to them by the one of the lady in the group. Women sit down in a circle as they listen to the story of Veeran, a girl who broke her Karvachauth fast before moonrise because her seven brothers showed her a fake moon. Thereby, resulting in untimely immediate death of her husband. Veeran runs to her hubby’s place and looks after his dead body for one whole year. Next year she observes Karvachauth fast again thus being blessed with her husband’s life. As they listen to the Karva Chauth story , & some women keep rotating their Karvachauth thalis. Then food & gifts are given to mother-in-law which is called ‘bayna’. Depending upon the region, there is a little variation in the method of Karvachauth celebrations.

Karvachauth Moon Pooja

          In the night when the moon rises slowly in the sky, fasting women gaze at the beautiful Karvachauth moon through a sieve or ring, sprinkle water through their Karva and sugar, rice, mathi & sweets to the moon from their decorated thallis. Whilst women keep praying and singing a Karvachauth song for their husbands’ health and long life. Then they look at their husband through the same sieve or ring, the fast is then broken by receiving the first sip of water & first bite of food generally sweets from one’s husband. And wait begins for another Karvachauth. Karva chauth is a very important moment in life of an Indian women as it signifies love, faithfulness, dedication & commitment of a wife to her husband. Karvachauth is the perfect time for husbands & mothers-in-law to shower gifts on the fasting women.