One of the most precious festivals of India, Karva Chauth is a festival that celebrates the love and bond between a married couple. This festival is greatly significant in the northern region of India, specifically for Hindus and Sikhs. It is very relevant in states like Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. It usually comes 9 days before Diwali and the woman usually keep a fast for an entire day for the wellbeing of their marriage and their husband. According to the calendars of the Hindu, it falls on the fourth day of the Kartik month.
If you are looking for a space to get all information about Karva Chauth, like what is Sargi? How to break the fast? And so on, then this is the space for you. Keep reading to know all the important things.
What happens on the day of Karva Chauth?
To start off the Karva Chauth activities, the women of the household wake up early in the morning before sunrise and have a fulfilling hearty meal. This is because for the festival, these women cannot eat or even drink water the entire day, that is from sunrise to moonrise, therefore it is important that they have this meal before the sunrise. This ritual of eating before the sun comes up is called “Sargi” and it is usually the Mother-in-law who feeds the woman.
Next, once the sun is up, the preparations for the day start. The woman of the household start to deck up and the pooja items are sorted through and the karva chauth pooja thali is arranged. In the evening, all the woman meet in a commonplace. This can be a temple or the house of one of the woman in whose house the pooja is being held. Here a Pujarin or an elder lady narrates the story of Karva Chauth which is absolutely essential in this festival. All the woman listen to this story and light diyas
Mehendi on Karva Chauth:
An important part of the ceremony is for the women to deck up and one of the most crucial part of so is Mehendi. As per the traditions of the Hindus, this enhances the longevity of the bond and enlightens the couple spiritually.
Baya:
Baya is the term used for the special karva chauth gifts the mother-in-law gets from the daughter-in-law. On the usual, it contains things like jewelry, dresses, food and so on. This is usually sent to seek their blessings.
Shringar:
Being decked in Solha Shringar is an extremely important ritual for the ladies during Karva Chauth. It is symbolic as it signifies a happy marriage and also the long beautiful life of the husband. On the other hand, getting ready and decked often distract the women from having hunger, when then helps them. New clothes, especially clothes in red and shades of red are the ideal choice for the decked up look.
Often women also deck up in the karva chauth gift to wife that they receive from their husbands, which often consist of things to jewel up in. Nowadays, the wives also gift their husbands gifts on Karva Chauth and even the men deck up in beautiful traditional attire.
Pooja and Katha:
After being decked, the evening is usually spent is the actual pooja often done by a Pujari. This pooja is crucial for the completion of the rituals for a proper Karva Chauth celebration. During this pooja is when the story of Karva Chauth is narrated and diyas are lit and all the women worship Goddess Parvati for the wellbeing and longevity of their husbands.
How to break the fast?
The fast is broken when the moon rises and the women see the reflection of so either on water or through a sieve. After this, they can have all the food that is usually prepared at home.