Karva Chauth is a one-day festival traditionally celebrated by Hindu women of northern India. Women fast from dawn until the moon rises in the sky, to protect and wish a long life to their husbands (and often to boyfriends too). Read on to find out more about this ancient Hindu holiday.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare for the Party
Step 1. Know that this holiday is celebrated in the regions of Rajasthan, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab
There are similar holidays all over India, but Karva Chauth is unique and typical of the northern regions.
Step 2. Start preparing a few days in advance
If you plan to participate, you must purchase make-up and cosmetics (shringar), ornaments, jewelry, plates and Karva lamps. If you are in India, know that local shops and bazaars display products dedicated specifically to Karva Chauth: you should therefore have no difficulty in finding several fun solutions.
Step 3. Wake up before dawn on Karva Chauth day
You have to get up with the other women participating in the ritual before the sun rises, to eat and drink something. If you celebrate the holiday in Uttar Pradesh, you probably eat soot feni with milk and sugar during dinner the day before. It is a traditional dish made with milk and chickpeas, which seems to be of great help in abstaining from water during the feast day. In Punjab, sargi (ਸਰਗੀ) plays an important role in the pre-dawn meal.
- Sargi is a meal consisting of several nutritious foods and is traditionally sent or offered to the mother-in-law by the daughter-in-law.
- If you and your mother-in-law live in the same house, the meal before sunrise must be prepared by the mother-in-law.
Part 2 of 3: Take part in the holiday
Step 1. Remember that fasting begins at dawn
This is a difficult task, but you don't have to eat or drink throughout the day. However, there is some good news, because during Karva Chauth you are exempted from household chores.
Step 2. Engage in community activities
In the morning, spend some time with the other women who are fasting, painting each other's hands and feet with henna. Before sunset, gather in one place (which may be the home of one of the participants) to practice the rituals associated with the puja. Pray all together for the well-being and longevity of your husbands by passing baya to you.
- The puja is a ritual during which people show their respect for god, a spirit or other element connected with divinity.
- The baya is a basket of offerings, such as almonds, jewelry, or other items.
Step 3. Involve your husband or boyfriend
Note that although the holiday is intended for women, men can also participate actively. Traditionally, they shower their wives with gifts and sweets to reward them for tiring fasting and prayers. In addition to celebrating the bond between two friends, this holiday also serves to strengthen the eternal bond between husband and wife.
Part 3 of 3: Assessing the Historical Context
Step 1. Know that Indian women, when they get married, leave their village and go to live with their husbands
They share the house with the groom's family and are completely separate from their original one. This traditional celebration began when the new brides began to seek the company and friendship of a woman in their new environment. This bond became tremendously important and gave birth to this well-known holiday.
- The new friend should be like a sister or best friend of the new bride.
- Women should strengthen each other and pray for the welfare of their husbands.
- Karva Chauth is the celebration of the emotional bond between the bride and her step-sister or best friend.
- Girlfriends are treated like family members for the rest of their lives.
- The story of a very devoted wife, Karva, who saved her husband's life, became the narrative backdrop for the party.
Step 2. Be aware that this celebration has begun in the northern and western part of India
Although there are various hypotheses regarding its origins, no one knows exactly why it is respected only in the northern regions in the month of October. Here are some of the most accredited hypotheses:
- The land is typically dry in October after the monsoon period.
- Military campaigns and long trips are usually organized between October and November.
- Women began fasting and praying for the safety and life of their husbands (and sometimes boyfriends) as they returned to their responsibilities and travel.
Step 3. Remember that the festival coincides with the wheat planting season
The containers that were used to store the seeds were large, made of earthenware and were called karva, while the term chauth means "forward". There are some hypotheses that the holiday was originally a prayer for a good harvest.
Step 4. Please note that Karva Chauth is celebrated on the fourth day of the waning moon in October
It is also known as Krishna paksh during the month of Kartik of the Hindu calendar; it does not correspond to a precise date, but it always falls in October.
Advice
- Don't overeat when you break your fast; it is important to drink plenty of water and choose healthy foods.
- Do not fast if you have any medical conditions or health problems.
- Do not engage in physical activity while fasting.
