Karwa Chauth: History, Celebrations and Significance

India is a nation of diverse traditions and celebrations. Numerous festivals take place in the country every year and one such festival specially dedicated to the love of husbands and wives is Karva Chauth. It is one of the most popular and significant festivals observed in the country’s north. 

Hindu and Sikh married women who Karva Chauth by fasting and praying to extend their husbands’ lives. The purpose of the event is for women to pray and make wishes for their husbands’ health, wealth, and longevity.

In this blog, we will explore the origin, history and celebrations of this special festival in detail.

What is Karva Chauth?

The Karva Chauth is a celebration of the lovely union of a husband and wife, honouring their love and comradery. Every year, married Hindu women celebrate the one-day festival of Karva Chauth, during which they fast from dawn to moonrise and offer prayers for their husbands’ health and longevity. Unmarried ladies who want a desirable life partner also observe the event. 

Karva Chauth is made up of two words, i.e., Karva meaning “earthen oil lamp,” and Chauth denotes “four” respectively. According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Karva Chauth occurs on the fourth day of the dark fortnight (also known as Krishna Paksh or the declining phase of the moon). The festival’s actual date typically varies from mid to late October. The northern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan are the regions where it is primarily observed.

Celebrations

The festival entails keeping a ‘Nirjala’ fast in which women neither eat nor take a drop of water throughout the day. In the evening, prayers are offered to the Goddess Gauri, an incarnation of Parvati, who bestows blessings for long and happy married life.

The women use the clay pot (Karva) to present water to the moon as part of the festival traditions, which gives it immense significance. This event is thought to have arisen when wives began to pray for their husband’s safe return from wars in other regions. Additionally, it is believed that it is a celebration of the conclusion of the harvest season.

Significance

Karva Chauth began as a festival honouring sisterhood and even today, its significance lies in the bond of women’s friendships in society. 

Earlier, girls used to get married while they were young, and as part of the tradition, they had to leave home and remain with their in-laws. The girls will experience loneliness and lack of a partner after the wedding. Hence, a short ceremony was held on the wedding day, during which a woman was named the bride’s lifelong godsister.

Women shared a sacred friendship and were regarded as soul sisters for life. In times of difficulty, stress, and hardship, the God-sister would share and sympathise with the bride, sharing their issues with one another.

The purpose of the Karva Chauth event was to honour this sisterhood, friendship, and unity. However, as the circumstances changed, it evolved into a fast that married women observe for the health and life of their husbands.

Whatever its origins, the holiday provides a chance to deepen family relationships.

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