Karva Chauth
karva chauth karwa chauth karaka chaturthi sanskrit करकचतुर्थी romanized karakachaturthī hindu festival celebrated hindu woman northern western india october november hindu lunar month kartika like many hindu festival karva chauth based lunisolar variant hindu calendar festival fall fourth day full moon karva chauth woman observe fast sunrise moonrise safety longevity husband karva chauth fast traditionally celebrated state delhi haryana rajasthan punjab jammu madhya pradesh uttar pradesh himachal pradesh celebrated atla tadde andhra pradesh karva another word pot small earthen pot water chauth mean fourth hindi reference fact festival fall fourth day darkfortnight krishna paksha month kartika sanskrit scripture festival referred karaka chaturthi karaka meaning earthen water pitcher chaturthi denoting fourth day lunar hindu month karva chauth mostly celebrated northern india military campaign often conducted rajput men far place whereby rajput men would leave wife child home go war wife would often pray safe return festival also coincides wheatsowing time ie beginning rabi crop cycle big earthen pot wheat stored sometimes called karvas fast may begun prayer good harvest predominantly wheateating northwestern region another story origin festival relates bond feminine friendship custom arranged marriage prevalent newlywed supposed reside husband inlaws new family custom arose befriending another woman friend kangansaheli sister dharambehn life friendship would sanctified hindu ritual marriage ceremony bride friend would usually age slightly older typically married village would go away directly related inlaws conflict interest later emotional psychological bond would considered akin blood relationship said karva chauth festival evolved include celebrating special bond friendship day karva chauth married woman would buy new karvas spherical clay pots— diameter – litre capacity—and paint outside beautiful design inside would put bangle ribbon homemade candy sweet makeup item small clothes woman would visit day karva chauth exchange karvas following date based hindu calendar woman begin preparing karva chauth day advance buying adornment shringar jewelry puja prayer item karva lamp matthi mehandi decorated puja thali plate local bazaar take festive look shopkeeper put karva chauth related product display day fast woman punjab region awake eat drink sunrise uttar pradesh celebrant eat soot feni milk sugar eve festival said help go without water next day punjab sargi ਸਰਗੀ important part predawn meal always includes fenia traditional sargi sent given fasting woman motherinlaw life motherinlaw predawn meal prepared motherinlaw karva chauth occasion fasting woman choose wear karva chauth special dress like traditional saari lehenga look best region woman wear traditional dress state fast begin dawn fasting woman eat day hindu wife perform various kind ritual along vrata fast karva chauth husband long life traditional observance fast fasting woman usually housework woman apply mehandi cosmetic day pass meeting friend relative region customary give exchange painted clay pot filled bangle ribbon homemade candy cosmetic small cloth item eg handkerchief since karva chauth follows soon kharif crop harvest rural area good time community festivity gift exchange parent often send gift married daughter child evening community womenonly ceremony held participant dress fine clothing wear jewellery mehandi region dress complete finery wedding dress dress sari lehangas frequently red gold pink yellow orange considered auspicious color fasters sit circle puja thalis depending region community version story karva chauth narrated regular pause storyteller usually older woman priest one present karva chauth puja song sung collectively part uttar pradesh pause singer perform feris passing thalis around circle part woman keep rice etc hand listening story first six describe activity fast seventh describes lifting restriction conclusion fast forbidden activity include weaving cloth kumbh chrakhra feri naa pleading attempting please anyone ruthda maniyen naa awakening anyone asleep suthra jagayeen naa first six feris singneeds translation veero kudiye karvara sarv suhagan karvara aye katti naya teri naa kumbh chrakhra feri naa aar pair payeen naa ruthda maniyen naa suthra jagayeen naa veero kuriye karvara sarv suhagan karvara seventh feri singneeds translation veero kudiye karvara sarv suhagan karvara aye katti naya teri nee kumbh chrakhra feri bhee aar pair payeen bhee ruthda maniyen bhee suthra jagayeen bhee veero kuriye karvara sarv suhagan karvara uttar pradesh rajasthan participant exchange karvas seven time rajasthan offering water seven time fasting woman asked dhapi ki ni dhapi satiated responds jal se dhapi suhaag se na dhapi satiated water love husband alternative ritual conducted uttar pradeshis prayer gaur mata earth specifically celebrant take bit soil sprinkle water place kumkum treating idolmanifestation fertile mother earth rajasthan story told older woman family including narrative karva chauth shiva parvati ganesh earlier time idol gaur mata made using earth cow dung replaced idol parvati community especially around bangalore visual depiction hg used fasting woman light earthen lamp thali listening karva story sindoor incense stick rice also kept thali uttar pradesh priest elderly woman family narrates story beejabeti veeravati celebrant make idol shiva parvati ganesha mud decorate colourful bright clothes jewellery exchanging karvas seven time singneeds translation sadaa suhagan karve lo pati ki pyari karve lo saat bhaiyon ke behen karve lo vart karni karve lo saas ki pyaari karve lo thereafter fasters offer baayna melange goody like halwa puri namkeen mathri meethi mathri etc idol mansana hand motherinlaw sisterinlaw fera ceremony concluded woman await rising moon moon visible depending region community customary fasting woman view moon reflection vessel filled water sieve cloth dupatta woman look husband face sieve water offered arka moon chandra lunar deity secure blessing region woman say brief prayer asking husband life believed stage spiritually strengthened fast woman successfully confront defeat death personified yama rajasthan woman say like gold necklace pearl bracelet like moon may suhaag always shine brightly husband take water thali offer wife taking first sip water day fast broken woman complete meal modern north india northwestern india society karva chauth considered romantic festival symbolizing love husband wife celebrated hindi movie dilwale dulhania le jayenge unmarried woman signal love man keeping fast reciprocates secretly fasting gesture empathy well demonstrating concern day breaking fast feeding moonrise baghban telephone man persuades fasting elderly wife break fast separated uncaring child news coverage celebrity sometimes highlight keeping fast unmarried public figure indicates strong likely permanent romantic attachment similar valentine day lack romantic partner acutely felt unattached woman festival used extensively advertising campaign region instance chevrolet tv spot man demonstrates caring wife buying car sunroof drive around karva chauth night spot moon since karva chauth celebrated primarily woman men entirely excluded festival observance moonrise though expected demonstrate attention concern fasting wife beauty ritual dressingup significant part day festival seen event bond woman together present day group unmarried woman sometimes keep fast sense friendship though practice far universal especially true urban area north india northwestern india fasting interpreted prayer loving husband future another trend northern urban area spreading festival observance woman originating community region immigrant mumbai kumaon garhwal traditionally celebrated karva chauth even aware festival existence true gujarat karva chauth date october certain region bengal northeast india bhutan notably karva chauth celebration distinctive tradition observed teenage boy actively participate festivity join married woman fasting ritual practice believed symbolize collective aspiration boy find suitable life partner future also spiritual dimension tradition said act devotion deity parvati venerated role symbol marital harmony longevity call modify eliminate festival commentator hold antiwomen perpetuate notion womens dependence men claim festival perpetuates unequal idea mindset woman meant sacrifice betterment husband karva chauth cited symbol cultural repression woman indian feminist madhu kishwar put class khomeinivad ie pushing woman position subservience husband similar family structure allegedly favored ayatollah khomeini feminist however called festival empowering woman concept karva chauth making sacrifice thing enables quit housework completely day expect gift husband writer asserted ritual work insidiously create instrument social control oppresses woman even greater popularity karva chauth among urban educated participant raise question greater barrier womens liberation religion market legend associated karva chauth festival telling tale interlinked one acting frame story another beautiful queen called veeravati sister seven loving brother spent first karva chauth married woman parent house began strict fast sunrise evening desperately waiting moonrise suffered severe thirst hunger seven brother couldnt bear see sister distress created mirror pipal tree made look though moon risen sister mistook moon broke fast moment took first morsel food sneezed second morsel found hair third learned news husband king dead heartbroken wept night shakti compelled goddess appear ask cry queen explained distress goddess revealed tricked brother instructed repeat karva chauth fast complete devotion veeravati repeated fast yama forced restore husband life variant story brother build massive fire behind mountain instead trick sister convincing glow moon break fast word arrives beloved husband died immediately begin running husband house somewhat distant intercepted shivaparvati parvati reveals trickery cut little finger give wife drop holy blood instructs careful keeping complete fast future wife sprinkle parvati blood dead husband coming back life reunited belief fast associated ritual associated legend mahabharata draupadi said observed fast arjuna went nilgiris penance rest pandavas faced many problem absence draupadi desperation remembered krishna asked help krishna reminded earlier occasion parvati sought shiva guidance similar circumstance advised observe fast karva chauth telling legend shiva tell parvati story veeravati describe karva chauth fast draupadi followed instruction observed fast ritual consequently pandavas able overcome problem woman named karva deeply devoted husband intense love towards gave shakti spiritual power bathing river husband caught crocodile karva bound crocodile cotton yarn asked yama god death send crocodile hell yama refused karva threatened curse yama destroy yama afraid cursed pativrata devoted wife sent crocodile hell blessed karvas husband long life karva husband enjoyed many year wedded bliss day karva chauth celebrated great faith belief yama came procure satyavans soul savitri begged grant life refused stopped eating drinking followed yama carried away dead husband yama said could ask boon except life husband savitri asked blessed child yama agreed pativrata devoted wife savitri would never let man father child yama left choice restore savitris husband life savitri vrata varalakshmi vratam