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Karva Chauth is an one-day long festival that is traditionally celebrated by Hindu women in North India. Women fast from sunrise to moon rise to safeguard and encourage their husbands' (and sometimes fiancés') longevity and safety. Read on to learn more about this ancient Hindu holiday.
Steps
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Know that the festival is held in the states of Rajasthan, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. Similar festivals are held throughout India, but Karva Chauth is unique to the northern region.
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Begin preparing for the festivities a few days in advance. If you're participating in the festival, you might want to buy make-up and cosmetics (shringar), adornments, jewelry and Karva lamps and plates. Local shops and bazaars decorate their stores with festive Karva Chauth products so you won't have a hard time finding plenty of fun options.Advertisement
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Wake up before sunrise on the day of Karva Chauth. You should get up with your fellow celebrants before dawn and have something to eat and drink. If you're partaking in the festivities in Uttar Pradesh, you'll likely eat soot feni (a traditional Garbanzo bean and milk dish) with milk in sugar on the night before the celebration. This mixture allegedly helps to abstain from water the next day. The sargi(ਸਰਗੀ) in Punjab is a significant part of this pre sunrise meal.
- The sargi is collection of sumptuous food items, and traditionally sent or offered to your mother-in-law by you, her daughter-in-law.
- If you and your mother-in-law live in the same house, the pre-dawn meal will be prepared by your mother-in-law.
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Remember that the fast begins at dawn. This is a tough feat, but you won't eat or drink throughout the day. And good news: you won't have to perform household tasks, either [1] X Research source .
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Engage in community activities during Karva Chauth. In the morning, you'll spend time with the other women in your community, and paint Henna on each other's hands and feet. Before sunset, you'll get together at one place (which can be someone's house) to perform the rituals associated with the puja. Together,you'll pray for your husbands' well-being and longevity while passing bayas to one another.
- The puja is a ritual during which people show reverence to a God, a spirit, or any other aspect connected to the Divine.
- The baya is a gift basket with items such as Almonds, pieces of jewelry, and other items.
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Get your husband (or fiancé) involved. Note that even though this festival is geared towards women, husbands actively participate. They traditionally shower their wives with gifts and treats in exchange for the tough fasting and prayers. Aside from celebrating the bond between two female friends, this holiday also serves as a reminder of the eternal bond between husband and wife [2] X Research source .
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Know that women who got married left their own village or town to go live with their husband. They would share their in-laws' home, and be completely cut off from their hometown. The tradition began when these newly wed women sought out a woman to befriend in their new environment. This bond would become tremendously important, and lead to this now widely-known festival [3] X Research source .
- The new friend would become a god-friend or god-sister in the newly wed's life.
- The women would then give each other strength, and pray for they husbands' well-being.
- Karva Chauth signifies the loving bond between the newly-wed and her god-sister, or god-friend.
- God-sisters and God-friends were treated like family members for life.
- A story about a highly devoted wife, Karva, who saved her husband's life provides a narrative background to the celebration.
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Be aware that this festival started in the northern and north Western parts of India. Though there are various hypotheses about the origin of this celebration, no one actually knows why it was only observed in northern India in the month of October. Here are a few widely accepted notions [4] X Research source :
- The land was usually dry by October after the monsoon season.
- Military campaigns and long-distance travel usually occurred in October and November.
- Women started to fast to pray for their husband's (and sometimes fiancé's) longevity and safety as they resumed their travels and obligations.
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Be aware that the festival coincides with the wheat sowing season. The pots used to store wheat were large and earthen, and they were called karvas. The word Chauth means 'forth'. There is some speculation that the festival also originated as a plea for good harvest.
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Keep in mind that Karva Chauth occurs on the fourth day of the waning moon in October. The celebration is also known as the 'Krishna paksha' in the month of Kartik in accordance to the Hindu calendar. There isn't a specific date, but it's always sometime in October [5] X Research source .
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Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I cook and cut during Karva Chauth?Community AnswerNo, you should not use knives, scissors, or even needles for stitching.
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QuestionWhat should I do with the old, used karva?Community AnswerKeep them in the temple or near the tree outside the temple. I used them to plant flowers and decorate my balcony.
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QuestionNobody celebrates Karva Chauth at my parents' home. Can I perform Pooja alone?Community AnswerThough Karva Chauth builds relationships, you can perform it by yourself.
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Tips
- Don't eat too much once you break the fast. It's important to drink plenty of water and eat healthy options.Thanks
- Skip the fasting if you're having any kind of health problems.Thanks
- Don't exercise during your fast.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
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- Keep washing your hands and face if you feel dehydrated throughout the day. You may not be able to drink, but the refreshing feeling of the water on your skin can help a lot!
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References
- ↑ https://www.news18.com/news/india/karwa-chauth-2019-date-timings-rituals-of-the-festival-2346587.html
- ↑ https://www.news18.com/news/india/karwa-chauth-2019-date-timings-rituals-of-the-festival-2346587.html
- ↑ http://www.karwachauth.com/origin-and-significance.html
- ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/events/when-is-karwa-chauth-in-2019-story-history-significance-and-important-of-karva-chauth/articleshow/71610558.cms
- ↑ https://www.mapsofindia.com/events/india/karva-chauth.html
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Reader Success Stories
- "A very interesting article. It was surprising to know that the ritual is only observed in the northern part of India, since I thought it was celebrated in all the states. The article also includes some specific names for the food and festival items, and it also helped me understand the reason why women fast for their husbands. The historical background is also very helpful in understanding the festival. I would, however, like to know why certain rituals are performed, such as looking at the moon through a sieve or leaving candles on water." ..." more
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"A very interesting article. It was surprising to know that the ritual is only observed in the northern part of India, since I thought it was celebrated in all the states. The article also includes some specific names for the food and festival items, and it also helped me understand the reason why women fast for their husbands. The historical background is also very helpful in understanding the festival. I would, however, like to know why certain rituals are performed, such as looking at the moon through a sieve or leaving candles on water."
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"I'm married to an Indian man, though am not Indian myself, and my mother-in-law told me to celebrate this festival on a small scale. This article helped understand the tradition."
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"Before, I didn't know about this festival. Now I know how to celebrate. It's a very important festival in our life."
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"Yes, of course this article is really amazing and attractive, and it explains the whole story of Karva. "
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