Fasting, praying, merrymaking... Everything is taken care of before Diwali rush begins.
Married women in Northern India and Indian diaspora abroad are celebration Karva Chauth on Saturday.
They have spent the entire day fasting and preparing for the Puja in the evening. They will exchange earthen pots filled with sweets, jewellery, and clothes during the puja.
While they are waiting for moonrise, let's take a look at how women in India are celebrating the festival.
1. First order of business
)
Mehendi or henna is an important part of the Karva Chauth celebrations. Women come together to adorn their beautiful hands with unique henna designs. Here we see friends and relatives in Amritsar getting ready for the festivities. (NARINDER NANU / AFP)
2. Many ways of doing Puja
)
There are different ways of doing Karva Chauth puja. Some rituals we have seen in Bollywood movies. Some are not well known. Here we see a lady perform puja with earthen diya before the moonrise in Bikaner. (PTI)
3. Accesorising is must
)
There's no charm in Karva Chauth if you didn't dress up to eleven!
Here we see women browse through bangles on display at a stall on the eve of the Karva Chauth in Amritsar (NARINDER NANU / AFP)
4. Puja ki thali
)
A closer look at what goes into making the puja ki thali. (ANI)
5. Almost puja time
)
In Amritsar, women gather to perform the rituals before moonrise. (ANI)
6. Young brides
)
First Karva Chauth after the wedding is a big deal for young brides and their families. Here we see these young brides in Ludhiana taking part in puja. (ANI)
