ALSphere Foundation
This idyllic experience! The relationship between husband and wife is one of the most amazing bonds that happens in life. Waking up every single morning looking into each other’s eyes, sharing salads ,ballads and small snippets definitely makes you realize what marriage means: an exuberance and euphony. Karva Chauth celebrates this eternal bond between husband and wife.
This year, this one-day festival is being celebrated on October 20th. Interestingly, the word Karva Chauth is derived from two words, wherein Karva means an earthen pot used to keep water cool and chauth refers to fourth day after the full moon in the month of Kartik. It is celebrated almost everywhere in India. The wives keep fast for their husband’s long life. Many anecdotes are associated with the origin of the festival such as tale of Veeravati, Draupadi’s fast as referred in Mahabharata, the story of Karva. However the most popular is the legend of a beautiful queen Veeravati who breaks the fast looking at false moon and loses her husband. She again keeps the fast and gets back her husband. Since then, the married women have been observing this fast for long lives of their husbands.
To observe the fast, married women get up before sunrise to eat sargi, a meal offered by mother-in-law. After that they don’t take even a sip of water till moon rises in the evening. The city glows bright and beautiful as women decked up in their best attires, with hennas on their hands, sparkling bindis and red Sindoor adorn the roof-tops and streets. They usually indulge in playing tambola, singing songs with friends. Before sunset, they sit together in circles with thalis and diyas and listen to the story of Veeravati. As moon rises, they take a glimpse of it and then through sieves, their husband, who feed them first morsel of food and water. The rays of moon on that night look the best. The glamour of night is such that everything else seems at rest.
Like a typical Indian woman, I too look forward to this festivity. Although India is a developing country and has moved forward to modernity, the devotion of Indian woman to their husband has not wavered. I understand all Indian customs are based on scientific research before they come up with specific rituals to ensure our well-being. Karvachauth is my coveted ‘happy domestic Goddess Package’. Kajol faux fainting moments in DDLJ and tricking Shah Rukh Khan into feeding her made pop culture history. Cut to the present women observing fast, consumer industry revels with plethora of TV ads showing husbands gifting diamonds and expensive gifts to wives on this day. Irrespective of these ‘material incentives’, for me this festival remains a celebration of love, companionship, trust and mutual respect. Many regard this ritual as sexist and regressive because life of both partners is equally precious. Well, we must keep aside this gender bias because many husbands now keep fast with their wives. It is not only a ritual but a matter of heart, and heart is all about love and longings, immune to reason and resonance. I happily touch my husband’s feet and seek his blessings as a voluntary gesture of love in our lives which is not making him a divine mascot but revere relationship with a man who is my emotional anchor, loves and respects my identity and individuality. My stress calms in his arms. I don’t expect any expensive gifts. His happy and healthy life is the ultimate benediction for me. Thankfully such festivals keep us sunny and lively as we find ourselves in sparkling twirly.
Happy Karvachauth!
Dr. Ritu Kamra Kumar
