Sheela Mishra Just another WordPress weblog

October 7th is Karwa Chauth in India, a festival celebrated by married women for the well being and signifies extreme love and devotion to the husband. The women fast for a full one whole day, don’t even drink water, to signify the length of suffering they are prepared to go for their spouse’s well being and long life.

Karwa Chauth is derived from two words, Karwa and Chauth. Karwa means a clay pot and Chauth means the fourth night after a full moon or a new moon. In this instance it means the fourth day after the full moon in the month of Kartik, based on the hindu calendar system.

The fasting, which is considered of real importance amongst the married women of India, begins with the moon rise on the third night after the full moon of Kartik month. This fasting is started in the presence of the husband and the women do not partake of any food or drink until the next moon rise.

On the fourth night after the full moon of the Kartik month, the women wait eagerly for the moon to rise. They wear their best clothing and jewelery, which is mostly provided by the parents or siblings of the wife. As soon as the moon is visible the festivities begin and the fast is broken by the wife.

The wife first prays to the moon and seeks blessings and then looks towards the moon though a “Channi”, sieve. The wife then looks at the husband through the sieve and the husband offers the wife with some sweet or any other food to break her fast. The wife then touches the husbands feet and seeks blessings from him that she will be her wife forever and ever, in this life and other lives to come.