The festival of Karwa Chauth is of great importance to all Hindu married women in India and with a strong belief that the fasting on this festival ensures the well-being of their husbands.
The festival of Karwa Chauth is of great importance to Hindu married women. It stands on a strong belief that fasting on this day ensures the well-being of their husbands. However, is it right that in this day and age, that only women are needed by religion to fast and pray for the long life of their husbands?
The festival has gained popularity thanks to its constant portrayal in Hindi cinema (remember K3G) but like the popcorn-light, sanskaar-heavy films the male chauvinism behind these movies isn’t far away.
The real question is, why do all religious rituals make demands of women for the well-being of men, and not the other way around? Why don’t men fast for a day to pray for their wives and kids? Why should only women bear all the pain and discomfort?
Why do women fast?
Hindu rituals are deeply rooted in not only in tradition and mythology but also in the rich scientific heritage of the ancient India. There is logic behind many customs, rituals and festivities, but some have become blind beliefs or obsolete with the changing times.
It’s been proven scientifically that fasting for a limited period can be beneficial to an individual’s health.
Fasting results in a biological process called ‘autolysis.’ In this process the body fat which is stored in various parts of the body breaks down to produce energy and hence autolysis leads to detoxification. Detoxification is a normal body process of eliminating or neutralising toxins through body organs such as kidneys, liver, skins, etc. Ideally, the cleaning of the whole body by restraining yourself from eating anything.
It is now scientifically proven that fasting can also help in the process of healing faster. Healing process occurs faster within the body due to higher efficiency in protein synthesis resulting in healthier cells, tissues and organs. Detoxification and faster healing of the body is likely to increase he life span of an individual.
But none of that gives the real answer – how does a woman’s fasting or its health benefits increase the life of one’s husband? If you want a longer life for your husbands, then they should be fasting!
But, the question here is, if you are fasting and your body is detoxifying how is it increasing the life.
Many Hindu wives, despite walking hand in hand to their male counterparts in all walks of life, at the end of the day surrender themselves to the ages old tradition and the beliefs.
Perhaps there is a desire to placate society but why shouldn’t a husband have the same respect for his life partner?
It is ironical that while women deem themselves ‘feminists’, who pay the bills and shares household chores with her husband, also ends the day by submitting herself to the belief that her husband is her 'Pati Parmeshar' and fasts for his life.
Well, the entire concept that revolves around this festival of Karva Chauth, needs a questioning of gender dynamics and power equations. With unanswered arguments on being unfair to an extent that only wives fast for the long life and well-being of their husbands.
Such kind of arguments are often brushed off by terming them as ‘feminazis’ or just because of the religious sentiments involved in it but it’s time we stop doing that.
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 "Karwa Chauth- An oppression of women or celebration of love?")
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