Karva Chauth, a holy festival in Hinduism where married women fast from sunrise to moonrise, for their husband’s long life and well-being. A beautiful blend of tradition, devotion, and love, celebrated through rituals that have been passed down for generations.
A day before the fast, the rituals start when women apply henna on their hands and feet. Then on the day of vrat, they eat sargi in the morning, and then fast is observed without food or water for the whole day. In the daytime, dress up beautifully in traditional attire.
Sargi is the food prepared by the woman’s mother-in-law, and it is consumed before sunrise. It includes fruits, any stuffed parathas, sweets, faniya, milk/tea, dry fruits, and water. This early morning meal holds emotional and cultural values, making the fast bearable while strengthening family ties.
In the evening, women gather to perform rituals sitting in a circle with their decorated pooja thalis, lighting up wheat flour diyas, earthen pots, and listening to the Karva Chauth story narrated by a Pandit and pray for the longevity and prosperity of their husbands.
As per the story, Karva was a loyal wife whose husband had been taken by a crocodile. Worryingly, she bound Yama, the deity of death, with her devotion and faith until he gave her husband his life back. This story represents devotion, affection, and the strength of a wife's love.
Women get a glance of their husbands after offering prayers and arghya to the moon through a sieve as it rises. The fast is broken after the husband makes them drink water and feeds his wife. Beyond just a tradition, this gentle act strengthens the holy marital bond by expressing love, care, and respect for one another.