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.
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