Karwa Chauth

Karwa Chauth is a fast kept by married women and girls likely to get married for the well being and long life of her husband. This is one festival eagerly looked forward by all women in India. The festival be celebrated on a great scale and involves everybody, although it is only for women.

It is mostly observed by women belonging to the regions of Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and other states that form a part of the Hindi speaking belt of the nation. Preparation for the festival begins much before.

The preparations comprise of shopping new clothes and jewellery, sweets and snacks and applying mehendi on the palms of women. Markets are flooded with these items many days before Karwa Chauth. Different regions have different meanings for the festival. In Punjab it means well being and long life of the husband, in Rajasthan it is known as Vat Purnima. Women here fast to get married to the same man as husband for all seven lives and fill mud pot with rice and wheat which are known as the Karwas. For women in Uttar Pradesh, women pray to Goddess Gauri, moon and sun. They draw pictures of these Gods, make karwas and perform puja.

The rituals followed are more or less in all regions. The festival is important for new brides. Customarily they get gifts of jewellery and clothes from their mother in law.

A lot of stories have been associated with Karwa Chauth. The well known ones are that of Queen Veeravati, Satyawan-Savitri and Draupadi. All three ladies in these stories were encouraged to fast for their husband’s long life and well being. They prayed to Goddess Gauri and God Shankar on the occasion.
Along with these mythological stories, there is also a belief that drives through the festival. It is said that the festival is also to give ode to the friendship between two women. In the olden days, when girls were married in childhood, it was a common practice to befriend another girl in the village of the in laws. This girl would come forward to help the friend in time of crises created by her in laws and husband. Slowly, the festival of Karwa Chauth started becoming an occasion to celebrate this friendship. Even now, Karwa Chauth is celebrated by women along with their family and friends.

Customs have not changed much though; even now brides receive Sargi, Baya gifts in the form of jewellery and clothes from in-laws and husbands. All these gifts are considered very significant as they are gifted to married women and the gifts symbolize their happy marriage or ‘suhag’. Items like bangles, jewellery, colourful clothes and mahendi are all considered auspicious.
Mother-in-laws gift 'sargi' to their daughter-in-laws. It is a collection of food of various types of sweetmeats and sometime clothes. It is meant to be eaten before sunrise. The fast starts before sunrise and ends after moon rise. The Baya or the thali (plate) which is exchanged by the women in the evening at the time of puja is gifted by the new bride’s parents to her husband. Baya contains few Mathis, Almonds and some gifts.

Jewellery still is considered as an important gift on the occasion. The jewellery market starts flooding with new designs that match with the latest fashion. Talking of clothes many fashion studios have started designing lenhenga cholis for Karwa Chauth. Mehendi is considered a symbol of good fortune for married women, in the Indian culture. The traditional mehendi designs have also seen a lot of change. Marwadi, Bombay and Arabian, chemical mehendis are all in demand and address women of all ages. The latest among the designs are the henna tattoos which are easy to apply, quickly and look fabulous. These come as body art and can be applied on the back, arms, feet etc.
Author: Ms Coutinho.

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