A tribute to the exemplary devotion of married Indian women towards their husband is the festival of Karwa Chauth. People all around the country largely celebrate it as a festival but it is rather a selfless expression of love by every married women for their husband. Every married women undertakes a stringent fast for a whole day without eating anything and the fast is broken only after the moon is sighted and the husband present their wives with the first morsel of food. A glorious reflection of the rich heritage that the country is blessed with.
Karwa Chauth 2016 “ 19th October
Karwa Chauth Puja Muhurat “ 17:43 to 18:59
Moonrise on Karwa Chauth “ 20:51
Karwa Chauth Baya
According to the Hindu calendar, the festival of Karwa Chauth is observed on the fourth day of the new moon in the month of Kartik. And as per the Sanskrit translation Karva means an earthen out with a spout and Chauth means the fourth day. On the day of Karwa Chauth, Lord Shiva and his complete family are worshipped by people. Customarily, mothers usually takes Baya to their daughters house which is accepted by the elder women of the family. It is the Baya which is usually circulated amongst the other married women of the family during the puja. Conventionally, Baya comprises of the following items:
-Sweets -Money
-Clothes -Karva (earthen pot)
Karwa Chauth Sargi
On the day of Karwa Chauth mother-in-law presents Karwa Chauth sargi which is commonly understood as festive breakfast. Sargi should be consumed before sunrise and it consist of the following.
-Vermicelli, -Jalebis
-Matri (snacks) -Coconut
-Red ribbon -Sindoor
-Bangles -Mehendi
-Bindi -Dry fruits
If the women is newly married she gets a new saree and jewellery to wear after taking bath. The sarees usually available in bridal colors such as red, pink and orange. They are also expected to wear everything that are considered to be symbol of marriage such as bindi, nose pin, tika, bangles and earrings. They have to apply henna on their hand and feet which is considered to be quite auspicious thing to do on the occasion of Karwa Chauth.
Karwa Chauth Vrat Vidhi : Procedure and Guidelines
Women who are undertaking the fast are required to follow a vrat vidhi wherein after undertaking the fast, women are expected to take morning bath and should take a vow to keep this fast for the well-being, longevity and prosperity of not only their husbands but the whole family, this vidhi is known as the Sankalp vidhi. Women have to recite the following during the sankalp vidhi that, I would observe the fast for the wellbeing of my husband, sons, grandsons and also to gain wealth.
Karwa Chauth Puja and Samgri
As per the popular belief, the Karwa Chauth Puja should be performed during late in the evening. And married women seek the blessings of Goddess Parvati. At the time of the puja, women usually sketch Goddess Gaura and Chauth Mata who are considered to be representation of Goddess Parvati on the wall. If you are pressed for time you can keep the calendar of the same in front of you to offer your prayers. After offering their sincere prayers to Goddess Parvati, people worship Lord Shiva, Lord Kartikeya and Lord Ganesha. As an age old tradition the pujas are performed in a group where the elder women of the family narrate the story of Karwa Chauth to all the married women. There are certain things which are considered to be forbidden on the auspicious occasion of Karwa Chauth such as weaving cloth, pleasing anyone and waking up anyone who is asleep. To perform the Karwa Chauth Puja the following puja samagri is required:
-A raised platform for the puja -Idol of Goddess Parvati
-Roli -Nath
-Sindoor -Karva (containing water)
-Red Thread known as Kalawa -Matthi
-Karwa Chauth Book -Coconut
-Cash -Sieve
-Earthen Lamp -Thali (consisting of all the above items)
Karwa Chauth Thali Decoration
Karwa Chauth Thali is an important element of the Karwa Puja. If you want to go with the traditional decoration, you can make it look artistic by decorating it with alpana and rangolis. The thali can also have floral designs by using fresh flowers, leaves and multi-colored pulses to make the thali look quite attractive. This thali is rotated amongst all the married women while sitting around Gaura Mata. Usually a karva is placed in the centre which is considered to be a symbol of Lord Ganesha along with a glass filled with water, flowers, fruits, matthi, food grains and an idol of Gaura Mata is kept. A portion of all this is presented to the deity and the eldest member of the family who narrates the traditional story of karwa Chauth. Everyone lights up the earthen diya while listening to the story of Karwa Chauth. In the end, the Karwa Chauth Puja Thali is given to the eldest member of the family.
Karwa Chauth Songs
While exchanging the Karwa Chauth Thali, a folk song is usually sung by all the married women.
Veero Kudiye Karwada,
Sarv Suhagan Karwada,
Aye Katti Naya Teri Na
This folk song is repeated 6 times after which the following stanza is sung during the seventh time
“Veero Kudiye Karwada,
Sarv Suhagan Karwada,
Aye Katti Naya Teri Nee,
Traditional rituals to open the Karwa Chauth fast
Once the moon is sighted, women see the reflection of the moon in a thali filled with water with a help of a sieve. They offer their prayers to the moon for the safety and security of their husband and this marks the end of the fast of Karwa Chauth. After this husband makes his wife drink water and she in turn seek blessings from him.
Karwa Chauth Gift Ideas
After the completion of the fasts, husbands offer Karwa chauth gifts to wife as a token of appreciation for observing such a rigid fast. Mostly it is either jewellery, sarees, cosmetic hamper, personalized gifts, flowers or any other Karwa Chauth gift items which they would truly appreciate.
Karwa Chauth Puja Recipes
In India, we can hardly name a festival or any special occasion which doesn’t have its very own taste. Every occasion has its special menu and so does Karwa Chauth. No matter which part of the country you live in, there are certain dishes which are a must prepare. Here, you may find the authentic Karwa Chauth dishes, which will add the sweetest punch to your celebration of love and marriage.
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