Karva
Chauth is a fasting observed by the Hindu women for the long life,
health and prosperity of their husband. . The word Karwa (Karva) means a
clay pot and chauth means fourth, as the festival is commemorated on
the fourth day after the full moon in Kartik month of Hindu calendar. It
is a festival that is of great importance to the women and celebrated
throughout India with zeal and enthusiasm. The women break their fast
after the moon has risen.
Their consume the
first morsel from the hands of their husbands. Even though the fast is
tough, women wait eagerly for this festival, especially the newly
married brides who deck up I their finest attire and jewelry which is
symbolic of a married woman. The husband in turn gift their wife
beautiful gifts. The women carry out pooja to Lord Ganesha praying for
the long life’s of their husbands and that they should leave the earth
as married women and not as a widow.
This fast first took place between Siva and parvatiThereafter, the
very first time this vrat was observed in the town of Shukraprastha by
Veeravati, the daughter of Vedsharma and Leelavati. Ever since this fast
has been observed by married women till the present day. As the legend
goes, Veeravati was married to aking and on the day of Karva chauth she
came to her mothers place. As the princess was fragile she fainted due
to the fast. Seeing this her brothers burned wood on the nearby hill and
deceived her by saying that the moon has risen. Veeravati broke her
fast due to which her husband wa taken ill. When she cam to know about
it, the sorrowful queen left for her husbands house and met Parvathi on
the way who granted her a boon stating that her husband would live but
be unconscious state. The queen reached the palace, and found the king
lying unconscious with hundreds of needles inserted in his body. Each
day, the queen managed to remove one needle from the king’s body. Next
year, on the day of Karva Chauth, only one needle remained embedded in
the body of the unconscious king.The queen observed a strict fast that
day and she went to the market to buy the karva for the puja. Meanwhile,
her maid removed the remaining needle from the king’s body. It was the
moment when the king regained consciousness, and mistook the maid for
his queen. When the real queen returned to the palace, she was made to
serve as a maid.But Veeravati didn’t lose her courage and religiously
observed the Karva Chauth vrat. Once when the king was going to some
other kingdom, he asked the real queen (now turned maid) if she wanted
anything. The queen said, “I want a pair of identical dolls”. The king
obliged. As the queen received the dolls, she started singing “the queen
has turened into a maid and the maid into a queen”. On being asked by
the king as to why did she keep repeating that song, Veeravati narrated
the entire story. The king repented and restored the queen to her royal
status.
During the pooja the women of the neighborhood usually gather in
someone’s house and perform the pooja together. They then recite the
above story to each other and open their fast. The family sits down for a
grand vegetarian feast.
It is only in India that we see such love and care that the women
have for their husbands and the position that they occupy in their
hearts. For the Indian woman it is not merely a custom, but has deeper
and greater significance and a way of expressing their undying love and
affection for their husbands
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