As I was thinking about Karwachauth, the first thought which came to my mind was that of going to the parlor. Then, when I was getting my facial, the thought occurred to me why it is important to look beautiful to celebrate Karwachauth. Looking beautiful, getting decked up, keeping a fast, would all of this increase my husband’s life? On further thinking, I realized I am wanting to look beautiful for myself. It will give me pleasure to wear beautiful clothes and jewelry.
With all the festivities going on, with all the preparations going on for these festivities, we women lose ourselves. We stop thinking about our needs and comforts. So eleven days before the festival of Diwali, a woman gets a day to herself. On this day she doesn’t care about anything else except for herself. She keeps fast to detoxify her body. She wears beautiful clothes and jewelry to please herself. This has absolutely nothing to do with her other half. This day is simply for her happiness.
This happiness is what affects the people around her. If she is happy her husband is happy, her family is happy. As the saying goes “Happy wife, happy life”.
Karwa Chauth is also called the festival of Married Woman. On this day, married woman fasts throughout the day for the long life of her husband. After worshiping the moon in the evening, they see the moon and husband from the sieve and complete the fast by taking water. The festival of Karva Chauth is celebrated every year on the auspicious moment of Krishna Paksha of Kartik month. The festival of Karva Chauth is mainly celebrated in North India, especially in Punjab. But for the last few years, the festival of Karvachauth has also been globalized and now Karwa Chauth is being celebrated not only in the country but also abroad.
Karva Chauth Puja auspicious time – 4 November, Wednesday – 5:34 pm to 6:52 pm.
Sieve has special importance in karwachauth. On this Day Married Woman (Suhagin) holds a sieve and other worship material in the Pooja plate. In the evening the women first look at the moon holding a lamp in the sieve and then look at their husband. After this, the husband completes the fast by giving water to his wife. The story behind completing this fast by seeing the moon and the husband’s face in the sieve is that according to Hindu beliefs, the moon is considered to be the form of Lord Brahma and the moon is blessed with a long life. The moon has qualities like beauty, coolness, love, fame, and longevity. That is why all women, by seeing the moon, wish that all these qualities come in their husbands.
There is also a story behind celebrating Karva Chauth, according to which when Yamraj came to take the soul of Satyavan, Savitri begged him for the life of her husband Satyavan and pleaded not to take his suhaag. On Yamraj’s refusal, Savitri gave up food and water. And she started mourning near her husband’s body. Yamraj was distracted by this mourning of the woman and asked Savitri to ask for another groom in addition to the life of her husband Satyavan. Then Savitri told Yamraj that you should give me the boon of becoming the mother of many children, to which Yamraj said yes. Being a married woman, Savitri could not think of any man other than Satyavan. In the end, being bound in his word, a virtuous woman could not take the suhaag of the woman to Yamraj and handed over the life of Satyavan to Savitri. It is said that since then, women abandon food and water and pray for the longevity of their husbands and observe a fast of Karvachauth.
It is also believed that Karwachauth is celebrated with great joy because, in earlier times, girls were married at a very early age due to which they could not even enjoy their childhood. Therefore, on this day all the girls from the neighborhood gathered together and used to celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm and cheerfulness. From that day till today karwachauth is celebrated with all such enthusiasm and cheerfulness.
So this Karwachauth, say hello to yourself. Spend this day to meet yourself. You have lost yourself among the many titles and roles you have been playing so far. This Karwachauth is you, be Happy.
So Wishing all the ladies a Very Happy “You” on this Karwachauth.
You don’t have to necessarily keep a fast to celebrate this day. You necessarily don’t even have to have a husband to celebrate this day. Take this day as an opportunity to celebrate yourself!