Karwa Chauth 2017 - Showing Rich Indian Culture

Karva Chauth in 2017

Karwa chauth date in 2017 is 8th October. It is the most popular fast with the women. Even though Karwa Chauth is one of the toughest fast for them but they observe this fast with immense faith and devotion. Normally, people observe fast for Lord Ganesha and Moon on every fourth day (Chaturthi) of dark half of Hindu months (Krishna paksha), but Karwa Chauth falls in the month of Kartik which is considered as the sacred month for Hindus. This festival is celebrated before the nine days of Diwali. In our scriptures, it is believed that observing fast is a way to bridge a gap between god and his devotee.

Karwachauth is a festival for married women where they keep fast for the well being, prosperity and long life of their husband.

Karva Chauth Rituals

There are several rituals for Karwa Chauth that women perform while celebrating this amazing festival. In our religion, many fast is being observed by women but karwachauth is the favorite and most popular fast among them, because it’s an only one which is related with their respective life partner. On this auspicious day, married women keep a strict fast and do not take even a drop of water. The fast begins before sunrise and ends only after offering the prayer and worshipping the moon at night. The fast is broken once the moon is sighted and all the rituals have been performed. Women offer water to the moon and break their fast at night.

This day is entirely dedicated to the women. On this very day, they not only observe a strict fast but they get a chance to be a bride again. Bride in sense of applying makeup, wear new attire preferably a red color sari or lehenga. Other than makeup or attire, the thing which is necessary for married women is applying Henna on their hands and legs. It’s a belief that women who get dark color will get loads of love and caring from her husband and from her mother in law. Vermillion is another important part of Shringaar. It has been said that without vermillion, shringaar is not completed as it is considered as a symbol of married women.

Karwa Chauth is an occasion that encourages women from neighborhood to come and offer prayer together to Maa Parvati and Maa Gaura. Before the sunset, women in the locality used to gather in one house and prepare a corner for puja and then sit around it where the elderly woman in them narrates a karwachauth vrat katha. All the women have their karwa and puja thalis which have things like red thread, kharia, roli, water, rice, diya and home cooked eateries like Mathadi, kheer or other sweet dishes and dry fruits. It’s a custom that after the puja, thali is given to the eldest member of the family who blesses the woman to attain all happiness in her life.

This Hindu festival has a cultural and social significance and all Indians celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm. This fast is not complete without narrating this story.

Karva Chauth Katha

According to Karwa Chauth Katha, a long, long time ago, there was one rich businessman who had seven sons and one daughter in a family. A girl is the youngest one that’s why everyone adores her a lot. When she was of marriageable age, she got married to a young beautiful boy. On her first Karwa Chauth, she came to her mother’s home and kept a fast with her mother and sister in laws. As she was not habitual of observing such a difficult fast and became weak till evening, which makes her brothers worried and asked her to have something but she denied and said I will eat, when moon will rise. Then her worried brother decided to rise artificial moon to her, they burnt cow dung and said let's go sister the moon has risen. She asked her bhabhis to come upstairs as the moon has risen but her bhabhis refused and told her that this moon has risen for you only. She believed, offered prayer to the moon and started having her meal as soon as she started eating she got news that her husband is seriously ill. Then she realized her mistake and advised to take good care of her husband and observe fast on next karwachauth so goddess blessed her husband’s life. Till the next karwachauth she dedicated herself towards her husband and take special care of him and then on karwachauth she observed strict fast, all her efforts became successful as goddess not only blessed her with the long life of her husband but with happiness and prosperity also.