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In the pious name of Omkara,
Namashkar mitro, aap sabko Karva Chauth ki hardhik shubhkamnaayein especially for the married ladies and couples!
Karwa Chauth22nd October 2013 (Tuesday) |
Puja Muhurat and Chandrodaya time on Karwa ChauthKarwa Chauth Puja Muhurat = 17:02 to 18:17 Duration = 1 Hour 15 Mins Moonrise On Karwa Chauth Day = 19:43 Chaturthi Tithi Begins = 07:06 on 22/Oct/2013 Chaturthi Tithi Ends = 08:51 on 23/Oct/2013 |
Karwa Chauth fasting is done during Krishna Paksha Chaturthi in the Hindu month of Kartik and according to Amanta calendar followed in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Southern India it is Ashwin month which is current during Karwa Chauth. However, it is just the name of the month which differs and in all states Karwa Chauth is observed on the same day.
Karwa Chauth coincides with Sankashti Chaturthi a fasting day observed for Lord Ganesha. The fasting of Karwa Chauth and its rituals are observed by married women for the long life of their husband. Married women worship Lord Shiva and His family including Lord Ganesha and break the fast only after sighting and making the offerings to the moon. The fasting of Karwa Chauth is strict and observed without taking any food or even a drop of water after sunrise till the sighting of the moon in the night.
Karwa Chauth day is also known as Karak Chaturthi. Karwa or Karak refers to the earthen pot through which water offering, known as Argha , is made to the moon. Karwa is very significant during Puja and it is also given as Dan to the Brahmin or any eligible woman.
Compare to South Indian states, Karwa Chauth is more popular in North Indian states. After four days of Karwa Chauth, Ahoi Ashtami Vrat is observed for the wellbeing of sons.
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Queen Veeravati performing Karva Chauth |
A long long time ago, there lived a beautiful girl by the name of Veeravati. She was the only sister of her seven loving brothers, who was married to a king. On the occasion of the first Karva Chauth after her marriage, she went to her parents' house. After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, the queen couldn't stand the rigors of fasting and was desperately waiting for the moon to rise. The seven brothers who loved her dearly, were very disturbed watching the distress of their sister and decided to end her fast by deceiving her. Then the brothers reflected a mirror through Pipal tree leaves. The sister, taken it as moon rise, broke the fast and took food. However, the moment the queen ate her dinner, she received the news that her husband, the king, was seriously ill.
The queen rushed to her husband's palace and on the way, she met Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati. Parvati informed her that the king had died because the queen had broken her fast by watching a false moon. However, when the queen asked her for forgiveness, the goddess granted her the boon that the king would be revived. But to achieve this, she would have to undertake the Karva Chauth fast under strict rituals, then only her husband would come top life. Thus, by strictly following all the rituals of Karva chauth, queen Veeravati relivened her husband.
The Legend of Mahabharata
The belief in this fast and its associated rituals goes back to the pre-Mahabharata times. Draupadi, too, is said to have observed this fast. Once Arjun went to the Nilgiris for penance and the rest of the Pandavas faced many problems in his absence. Draupadi, out of desperation, remembered Lord Krishna and asked for help. Lord Krishna reminded her that on an earlier occasion, when Goddess Parvati had sought Lord Shivas guidance under similar circumstances, she had been advised to observe the fast of Karva Chauth. Draupadi followed the instructions and observed the fast with all its rituals. Consequently, the Pandavas were able to overcome their problems. On this day, fasting women listen to Karva Chauth legends with rapt attention.
The Story of Satyavan and Savitri
There is the story of the Satyavan and Savitri. When Lord Yama, came to procure Satyavan's soul, Savitri begged him to grant him life. When he refused, she stopped eating and drinking and Yamraj finally relented. He granted her, her husband's life. To this day, Karva Chauth is celebrated with great faith and belief.
The Legend of Karva
According to another legend, a woman named Karva was deeply devoted to her husband. One day while bathing, he was caught by a crocodile. Karva came running and bound the crocodile with a cotton yarn. She then went to Yama, the Lord of the death, and requested him to send the offending crocodile to hell. When Yama refused, she threatened to curse him. Afraid of the power of a devoted wife, Yama readily accepted and sent the crocodile to Yamalok or hell, and blessed Karva's husband with long life.
The fast of Karwa Chauth is kept 9 days before Diwali. It falls on the fourth day of the Kartik month by the Hindu calendar (fourth day of the waning moon or the dark fortnight).The Ritual
Karwa Chauth is considered one of the most important fasts observed by the married Hindu women. On this day the women pray for the welfare and long life of their husbands. The festival is followed mainly in the northern parts of the country.
Married women eat food early in the morning, before sunrise. They are not supposed to eat or even drink water during the day. In the evening the ladies listen to the Karwa Chauth Katha (the legend). The fast is over after the moonrise.
The Puja Process
The pooja preparations start a day in advance. Married women buy the shringar or the traditional adornments and the other pooja items like the karwa, matthi, heena etc.
Early in the morning they prepare food and have it before sunrise. The morning passes by in other festive activities like decorating hand and feet with heena, decorating thepooja thali and meeting friends and relatives.
In the late afternoon women gather at a common place like temple or a garden or someones' place who has arranged the pooja. An elderly lady or the pujarin narrates the legend of Karwa Chouth.
The essentials of this gathering and listening of the Karwa chauth story , 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.
Earlier an idol of Gaur Mata was made using earth and cowdung. Now just an idol of Goddess Parwati is kept. Every one lights an earthen lamp in their thalis while listening to the Karwa story. Sindoor, incense sticks and rice are also kept in the thali.
At this time the women wear heavy saris or chunries in red , pink or other bridal colors, and adorn themselves with all other symbols of a married women like, nose pin, tika, bindi, chonp, bangles, earrings etc.
Once the moon rises, the women see its reflection in a thali of water, or through a dupatta or a sieve. They offer water to the moon and seek blessings. They pray for the safety, prosperity and long life of their husbands. This marks the end of the day long fast.
Karwa Chauth Items
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Items required for the festival |
Karwa Chauth Food Items
- Sargi, which includes pheni (a sweet made by using milk and semolina), parantha, and various types of fruits and sweets.
- Ten matthis with an equal number of puas (a sweet made of jaggery)
- Delicous halwa
Karwa Chauth Beauty Essential (Sringar) Items
- Henna Mehndi for applying on palms and feet.
- Fashionable and multicolored glass bangles.
- Makeup items like bindi, kumkum or sindoor, lipstick, rouge, kajal, eye-liner, mascara, and so.
- Beautiful and traditional jewelry items like mangalsutra, maangtika, rings, necklace, bangles, ear-rings, anklets (payal), toe-rings, nose-ring, etc.
Karwa Chauth Cloth Items
- Baya or Bayana that includes gifts for the mother-in-law, which is ideally a sari.
- A set of new clothes, which is usually a bridal-sari (suhag joda) for the lady performing the vrat.
Karwa Chauth Puja Items
- A stable platform for performing the puja
- Cow-dung to make the image of the goddess Gora or Parwati
- Karwa Chauth story book
- Matthi for bhog
- Sindur or kumkum
- A strand of red thread (called kalawa)
- Karwa (a clay vessel containing water)
- A plate for keeping puja samagri
- Money for chadawa
- Other miscellaneous puja items
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