Marital life is a commitment towards one another. It is not only about going through life jointly but it is about growing through vitality together.
1. Introduction to karva chauth
A significant Hindu festival titled Karva Chauth symbolizes devotion, admiration, and well wishes of a wife towards her husband. The word karva chauth itself describes this festival. Karva means an earthen pot and Chauth refers to Chaturthi. Karva Chauth is celebrated on the fourth day after the Purnima or the full moon night. It is celebrated on the fourth day of Krishna paksha ( Krishna here refers to darkness). It will begin at 1:59 am on 13thOctober
and will end at 3:08 am on 14th October.
2. Historical anecdotes regarding Karva chauth
Hindu mythology has many tales regarding this auspicious & promising festival.
~ Goddess Parvati
It is speculated that Goddess Parvati observed Karwa Chauth for the first time to impress Lord Shiva and tie the knot with him.
~ Draupadi or Panchali
It is asserted that once Arjuna ( the tremendous archer of history) moved to the mountains to conduct Tapasya and amuse the gods in order to attain potent weapons. As he was involved in performing all the tapas, he did not return on time and other Pandav kumars started fashing backlashes in everything they did , That’s when Draupadi began to get nervous and anxious and sought help from lord krishna. He advised her to fast for karva chauth as goddess Parvati did.
~The story of veervati
Veervati was a beautiful queen and was one sister among seven brothers. As a consequence she was loved and cared by all. On her first karva chauth she felt unconscious on the floor but out of her love for her husband she refused to eat or drink until the moon emerged. The brothers couldn’t see that situation of veervati and planned to fool her in order to make her eat. They placed a mirror on the peepal tree that created an illusion that the moon had emerged , veervati broke her fast by eating food but as a consequence her husband died.
3. How is karva chauth celebrated ? ~Although there are numerous festivals resembling karva chauth which are celebrated throughout India, karva chauth is confined to the north western fraction of India solely.
~The festivities of karva chauth begin much before the actual day of karva chauth. Women go to shopping, buy accessories( shringar), karva ( the earthern pot) , apparels and jewelry for them.
~Women usually wakeup before the dawn to have sargi which is usually provided to them by their mother in laws. Women must recognize that they should prevent diet that might make them thirsty throughout the day instead they must eat food with considerable water content that doesn’t make them thirsty and hungry during the course of this fast.
~The puja plates are decorated with new, glittering and glinting cloth piece . Indian sweets like fenia, popular dry fruits, matthi and kheer are beautifully arranged on this gorgeous thali.
Married women assemble at one spot and read ancient tales regarding karva chauth and pray to goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva for long , healthy, affluent and prosperous life for their husbands. The women also chant the holy hymn by passing Pooja Thalis around in the circle..
~It is astonishing to cite that this celebration exists side-by-side with wheat sowing season. And the karvas used in celebrating karva chauth were originally used to stock wheat.
~After the emergence of Moon women take a glimpse of the moon through a round shaped sieve, the same sieve is used to glare at their husbands and praying for his long existence. The husband offers the wife to sip the water with his own hands. A great and yummy feast is followed by it,but it must be retained in mind that the fast should be terminated with light food and not heavy , fried food. Having heavy meal after a fast may not justify the utmost purpose of fasting and it may lead to puking , vomiting or headache.
~The karva chauth fast isn’t a lenient one. Women donot even gulp water unless the moon emerges, but their love, affection devotion and respect towards their partner overshadows the hardships of this fast and replenishes them with zeal and enthusiasm.
Karva chauth is not just a ritual,it depicts immense dedication towards our loved ones
Presently karva Chauth is not just constrained to wives fasting for their husbands but it has presently become more of a partner fasting for his/ her partner stuff which is really appreciable.
People can even fast for that supreme energy that is constantly and invariably navigating us through this journey from eternity to infinity. Fasting for that supreme power, God, Om, Ram symbolises our gratitude, indebtedness, affection and devotion towards that energy.
Significance of fasting
We must understand the significance of fasts in our lives, it is not just a solemn or a ritual but is a very effective manner of doctoring our digestive system with a break and bestowing food to impoverished people and bringing a smile to their faces . If your body is not well, you must not withstand the risk of going through this tough fast, rather consuming very light food,sipping lukewarm water deliberately throughout the day also helps digestive system to replenish itself.
Economic prosperity
Karva chauth and other festivals hold a monetary value as well. One must promote Indian products for purchasing the commodities utilized in the celebration of these festivals for illustration, on the occasion of karva chauth you can buy karva, matthiya, feniya, plates , suits from a local vendor. Festivals may be mere celebrations for us, but for workers, daily wage labourers , small artisans its a way and an opportunity to earn money and quench their hunger. We must encourage them and make their festive season bright, colorful and glossy too. They must be supported because celebrations are all about dissipating prosperity, happiness and executing charitable and humane deeds.
There is no better occasion than karva chauth for unraveling all the issues you are having in your relationship with your partner, sort things out if anything is causing an hinderance in your relationship, because Karva chauth strengthens the foundation of the relationship, brings freshness, charm and zeal in the relationship!
