Karwa Chauth Customs and Rituals...

Karvachauth Rituals and Traditions
All women wake up early in the morning and eat specially prepared food known as 'sargi' before sunrise. They are not supposed to eat or even drink water during the day. In the evening, they dress up in bridal finery and listen to the Karva Chauth katha.

Sargi
The preparations for karva chauth start the day before the festival. Brides get beautifully wrapped baskets with the sargi (the food to be eaten before sunrise) from their mother-in-law. The fasting women of the neighborhood get together before sunrise, to eat the sargi, which mainly consists of thirst-quenching foods, like fruits, along with a main course of potatoes eaten with hot puris (a deep-fried Indian bread). Traditionally, a newly wed woman spends the day before the fast in her mother’s house and comes to her mother-in-law’s house only on the day of karwa chauth.

Baya
On karwa chauth, married women wear bright and beautiful clothes, heavy jewelry and bangles. They also get intricate patterns drawn, with henna, on their palms and feet. Traditionally, it is the mother who usually sends baya, which includes sweets, money, clothes and a karva (small earthen pitcher), to their married daughters’ houses. In the evening, the mother-in-law or any elderly women of the house accepts the baya, given to them by the younger married women of the family. Thus, the festival of karva chauth involves not only the married women, but other members of the household as well.

Preparations of Karva Chauth Day
Married women start preparing for Karwa Chauth pooja a day in advance. They buy shringar or traditional adornments and other pooja items like karwa, matthi, heena etc. Early in the morning, before sunrise, they prepare food and have it. The morning passes by in other festive activities like applying heena on hands and feet, decorating pooja thali and meeting family and loved ones.

In the evening, women gather at a common pooja place like temple or someone's house who has arranged the puja. An elderly lady or 'pujarin' narrates the Karva Chauth legend and all ladies listen to the katha. The essentials of this gathering and listening of the Karwa chauth story includes a special mud pot, that is considered a symbol of lord Ganesha, a metal urn filled with water, flowers, idols of Ambika Gaur Mata, Goddess Parwati and some fruits, mathi and food grains. A part of this is offered to the deities and the storyteller.

Puja
The women of the neighborhood usually gather in someone’s house and perform the puja together, in the evening. A small area is prepared for the ceremony, which can be performed in any part of the house as well as in the open. A small square platform is placed against the wall and kharia matti (powdery mud) is used to cleanse and to decorate the puja area. An idol of Gaur Mata, or Goddess Parvati (the consort of Lord Shiva), is placed on the consecrated spot. Traditionally, the tiny image of Gaur Mata was made from cow dung, though nowadays pictures or idols of Parvati are the norm.
The fast is supposed to be broken only after moonrise. Women look towards their husbands through a sieve and then at the moon. Then they perform aarti of their husbands and take his blessings. It is the husband who then gives the first sip of water and the first bite of food to his wife.During this time, they also chant the following prayer ,which is for the well being of the husband and for marital bliss:

"Addey-addey Krishna pakshe var
Tith Karva Chauth
Manse hain apne suhag ke liye
Yeh karva, mattri, halwa, sari, nagdi
Apne suhag ka liye rani ka sa raj dena
Gaur ka sa suhag dena Shri Krishna nimant."

Enjoy Karwa Chauth:

In spite of being one of the toughest fasts, karva chauth is the most awaited festival of the year and is welcomed by married woman with great fervor. The entire day of fasting can be enjoyed without any feeling of tiredness. Here are few tips to make the day more joyous -Married women can gather together and enjoy singing the songs of Karwa Chauth.For a newly-wed woman, karva chauth is particularly special, as they get decked up in their bridal lehnga-choli. So, they spend their time in arranging all the matching accessories to look gorgeous in the evening.They can also watch religious movies or serials on the television to spend time on this auspicious day.They can also spend their day in decorating their pooja thali with lots of accessories.

Karwa Chauth SMS

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.Happy Karwa Chauth.

May The Sindoor,
Testify Your Prayers,
For Your Husband’s Long Life.
The Mangal Sutra Reminds You Of,
The Promises That Binds You.
And The Color Of Mehndi,
Prove The Depth Of Your Love.

I m feeling so happy, do u know why?
Cuz i m so lucky, do u know how?
Cuz God loves me.Do u know how?
Cuz he gave me a gift.
Do u know what?
Its YOU my love!
Happy Karwa…!!

If I were a tear in ur eye I wood roll down onto ur lips. But if you were a tear in my eye, I wood never cry as I wood be afraid to lose you! Thanks for being mine forever. Happy Karva Chauth!

May The Moon Light, Flood Your Life With, Happiness & Joy, Peace & Harmony. ...Happy Karwa Chauth.

The Mangal Sutra Reminds You Of, The Promises That Binds You. And The Color Of Mehndi, Prove The Depth Of Your Love..

Fast taken by wives...
For well being, longevity
and prosperity of husbands.
Seeking his blessings.
May this blissful day fills your life...
With love and happiness.

Dhanya woh devi jo pati sukh hetu vrat paave,
Dhanya woh pati jo devi roop patni paave,
Dhanya woh swaroop jo Manushyata ka deep jalawe.
Karva Chauth ki Shubhkamnaye....

A dark cloud of gloom is hovering my heart,
I am praying for your happiness & long life,
You are always in my heart,
Missing you very much on this karwa chauth...

Important Tips for Co-Sleeping with Baby

Co-sleeping, or bed sharing is frowned upon in western cultures. This is due to studies on cot death and sudden infant death syndrome, where in some cases, the death rate of those who bed shared were significantly higher.

Its important to not smoke or drink or take any drugs while co-sleeping, including pain killers, sleeping pills, and prescription medication. Even though you may seem aware, these are factors which can distort the way you normally sleep, and how deep a sleep you fall into.

Its also very important to take into consideration what tod duvet you sleep with. And if you sleep with a pillow to ensure its under your sheet so baby is unable to wriggle under it.

Make sure there are no gaps that baby can wriggle into and get stuck.

Only ever co-sleep on firm surfaces, never waterbeds, or beanbags.

Babies should not sleep with siblings or pets. Babies should always sleep with the mother, so she could breastfeed during the night if necessary. There is a danger to pets or family can roll with the baby and hurt

Babies do not have to sleep with plush bedding, pillows or stuffed animals. In fact, the baby should not sleep or even close to the bed or a soft pillow. Be careful not to close the baby’s face with a blanket, except that it is too cold. You can cover the entire body of a baby in a blanket or quilt, but the face should be left uncovered.

You need to ensure there is not enough bed space to accommodate you and your baby comfortable. A comfortable bed is potentially dangerous for your baby. Each of these beds should have a little room to move.

Guidelines for co-sleeping
The usual ideas for safe sleeping apply to babies who share their parents’ beds:

• Put your baby on his back to sleep (never on his tummy or side).
• Make sure his head is uncovered during sleep.
• Keep the sleep environment smoke-free.
• Provide firm and safe bedding.

Here are some simple additional safety precautions for co-sleeping. These will reduce the chance of accidental death through smothering:

• Avoid sleeping together on the couch – this is very dangerous, as your baby can get trapped between you and the cushions and can suffocate.
• Make sure your bed is firm. Don’t use anything soft underneath (for example, a lamb’s wool underlay).
• Use lightweight blankets, not heavy quilts or doonas.
• Keep sheets and blankets low down on the bed so they can’t cover your baby’s head.
• Put the bed in the middle of the room and check that the mattress fits firmly in the bed frame. This will stop your baby getting trapped between the bed and the wall or the mattress and the bed frame.
• Keep your baby away from any pillows.
• Put your baby beside one parent, but not between parents, so there’s less chance she’ll slip under the bedding.
• Put your baby where she can’t fall out of bed, but not against pillows or a wall. Babies can suffocate under pillows and have died after becoming trapped between the bed and the wall. A safer alternative is placing the mattress on the floor.

Sleeping Tips...

Early to bed , early to rise makes a man perfect. A good night sleep is most important for health , beauty and body fitness. Specially for women a best sleep is so much important for there care.Eat right and get regular exercise

• Your daytime eating and exercise habits play a role in how well you sleep. It’s particularly important to watch what you put in your body in the hours leading up to your bedtime.
• Stay away from big meals at night. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Also be cautious when it comes to spicy or acidic foods in the evening, as they can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.
• Avoid alcohol before bed. Many people think that a nightcap before bed will help them sleep. While it may make you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces your sleep quality, waking you up later in the night. To avoid this effect, so stay away from alcohol in the hours before bed.
• Cut down on caffeine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Consider eliminating caffeine after lunch or cutting back your overall intake.
• Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of water, juice, tea, or other fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Caffeinated drinks, which act as diuretics, only make things worse.
• Quit smoking. Smoking causes sleep troubles in numerous ways. Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep. Additionally, smokers actually experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses, making it hard to sleep.
• Distractions Allowed: This isn't as common as most sleeping tips, as some places would say the obvious - but experts note that if you don't have any distractions while you're going to go to sleep, you're going to get to sleep faster. This means shutting off the television, putting the cell phone in another room, turning off the radio, and avoiding anything else you might have in your room that's going to distract you. You might think that those things are 'helping you', but really, they're just pulling you away from slumber..
• Enough Sleep: Getting enough sleep is vital, and for this, you need to listen to your body - some people function wonderfully with 7 hours, but others need much more. It really does depend. Most adults need 7-8 hours a night, and if you're finding yourself dragging in the morning, try to catch a few more 'zzz's' by going to bed sooner. When you've found the perfect amount, you should be able to wake up to the alarm ready to face the day.
• Light Meals: Sure, that huge plate of comfort food - meatloaf, potatoes... - it was great then. But now, you're too full to sleep! How is that possible? Eating a heavy meal before bed can hurt you, and keep you up as your body tries to digest the excess. Instead, eat lightly, or nothing at all before you bury yourself in the sheets for the night.
• Liquids aren't your Friend: Don't get in a bottle of water while you're sitting in the bed, trying to sleep. You'll be getting up to go to the bathroom, and ruining the sleep that you just had with your little incident. Instead, drink enough throughout the day that you can go to sleep and stay asleep.
• Also avoid Bright Lights. Bright lights before bed can really hurt your sleeping, because your body feels more awake, the brighter it is. There actually are a few things that you can do about it, too.Keep your room dark and cool
• When it’s time to sleep, make sure that your environment is dark. Even dim lights—especially those from TV or computer screens—can confuse the body clock. Heavy curtains or shades can help block light from windows, or you can try an eye mask to cover your eyes.
• The temperature of your bedroom also affects sleep. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.
• Make sure your bed is comfortable
• Is your bed big enough? You should have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably, including with a bedmate present.
• Your mattress and bedding are also important. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to invest in a new mattress or a try a different pillow. Experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam or egg crate toppers, and pillows that provide more support.

अच्छी नींद कैसे आये...

अगर रात को अच्छी नींद आ जाये तो सुबह उठ कर दिन भर के काम आसानी से हो जाते हैं|इसके लिए जरूरी है नीचे लिखी कुछ जरूरी बातो पर गौर फरमाना:

• सुबह टहलना और व्यायाम करना भी अच्छी नींद पाने के लिए सहायक होते हैं|इसके साथ साथ योग भी करें तो शरीर को काफी आराम मिलता है|मानसिक तनाव भी दूर होता है|
• रोज़ एक ही समय पर सोने की आदत बनाना थोडा मुश्किल है,लेकिन कोशिश करनी चाहिए के एक ही समय सोया जाये इस तरह आपकी नींद का एक समय बंध जायेगा और आपको अच्छी नींद आएगी|
• अगर नींद नही आ रही तो जबरदस्ती आँखे बंद मत कीजिये क्यूंकि इस से आपका सिर दर्द होगा और मानसिक तनाव बड़ेगा,इस के लिए आपको कुछ पदने की कोशिश करनी चाहिए|इस से आपकी आँखे थक जाएँगी और आप को जल्दी नींद आ जाएगी|
• अच्छी नींद के लिए रात को जल्दी सोने भी आवशयक है|अगर जल्दी सोयेंगे तो आपको अपने आप ही जल्दी नींद भी आएगी|
• सोने से पहले गुनगुने पानी से मुंह हाथ धोये या नहाएं|इस से हमारी मांसपेशियों को आराम मिलता है और शरीर का तापमान भी सामान्य हो जाता है|
• कोशिश करें क सोने वाले बिस्तर पर बैठकर टीवी न देखें|
  

MIRACLE OF GANPATI