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Karwa Chauth 2017- significance, dates, origin, rituals, ceremonies and more

Karwa Chauth 2017 will be held on Sunday 8 October.

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We are sure that all you women are ready to observe this fast for husbands and eagerly waiting to dress up the best out of the lot. As u starve for your husband's well-being, this year we bring to you the real cause and significance of this fast. 

What is Karwa Chauth -  Concept and Belief 

A ritual in which majority of Hindu married women fast for a day without food and water, for their husbands with a strong belief that the festival ensures prosperity, longevity and well-being of their husbands. 

Mostly celebrated in North India, Karwa Chauth holds a strong belief in the minds of women, that by observing the fast with all rituals and complete devotion they will be able to safeguard the lives of their husbands. 

The belief and the faith of a woman in starving the whole day is a tradition being followed over ages.

When is it celebrated- Hindu Calendar dates 

The festival falls on the fourth day after the full moon, in the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Kartik. 

A reference to the fact that the festival falls on the fourth day of the dark-fortnight, or krishna paksh, of the month of Kartik. 

It is also believed the festival marks the onset of Rabi crop cycle and serves as a prayer for a good harvest in this predominantly wheat-eating regions.

Why is it celebrated-Etymology and origin

Originated from the northwestern parts of India was celebrated by the wives of men who went to far off places in military camps or fight wars. Their wives used to pray and fast in order to ensure safe home-coming of their husbands. Like all other festivals Karwa Chauth also has two historical versions to it. 

The first one suggests that the festival originates from a very sweet and noble mythical tale. 

There lived a beautiful queen Veervati. Veervati was the only sister to seven brothers. She spent first five years of her married life at her parents place. Finding it difficult to fast all day without food and water, Veervati would long for the sun to set an moon to rise so that she could break her fast and eat. 

Her brothers could not see this and in love for their sister one fine Karwa Chauth they created an illusion for her behind the Peepal tree. She fell for her brother's trick and she followed the rituals to open her fast only to realise that it was a trick. As a repercussion to all this she lost her husband. She veiled and cried the whole night in grief and sorrow. On observing the pain she was going through a goddess appeared and asked her to observe the fast with complete devotion once again and promised to bring back her husband to life.

The second version of the story explains that after being tricked by her brothers, Veervati lost her husband. On her way back to see her husband she met Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. As she explained the entire story to the Goddess, Parvati slit her finger and gave the drops of her blood to Veervati only to be given to her husband and get him back to life. Hence making the day more spiritual and sacred. 

How is it celebrated- Rituals and Ceremonies

The rituals of Karwa Chauth are simple enough for every women to abide to. Women in north observe the a day long fast without having anything to drink or eat. As the sun sets and moon appears, woman looks at the moon through a sieve, prays and then later looks at her husband. The husbands breaks his wives' fast by feeding hr with a glass of water and sweets. 

Ladies in the evening gather and pray together reciting a story (Karwa Chuath ki katha) and mantras. While doing this they sit in a circle and rotate the traditional plate(pooja-ki-thaal) seven times in a circular motion. The festival also coincides with the wheat-sowing time i.e., the beginning of the Rabi crop cycle. Big earthen pots in which wheat is stored called Karwa s, are also used in the rituals of the day. 

 

 

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