Karwa Chauth in India is celebrated with much fanfare, thanks to Bollywood movies like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, and the TV serials, that the dayis celebrated nothing less than a festival. Women on this day dress-up their best and observe a day-long fast for their husbands. Many women not even have a single drop of water during the entire day. Observed during Krishna Paksha Chaturthi in the Hindu month of Kartik, Karwa Chauth coincides with Sankashti Chaturthi. However, the day is observed during the Ashwin month in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Southern India, as per the Amanta calendar.
On Karwa Chauth, women break the fast only after sighting the moon through a sieve. Karwa is very significant during Puja and it is also given as daan to the Brahmin or any eligible woman.
It is said the Karwa Chauth was first started by Savitri (a character in Mahabharata) when she begged Lord Yama, the god of death, for her husband’s soul. Another episode in the epic talks about Pandavas and their wife Draupadi, stating that Arjuna went to the Nilgiris to pray and meditate for a few days, worried about his safety Draupadi sought her brother Krishna’s help. He advised her to observe a strict fast just like Goddess Parvati did for her husband Shiva’s safety. Draupadi adhered to it, and soon Arjuna returned home safely.
Mostly celebrated in North Indian states like Punjab, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, on this day women buy adornments, jewellery, and puja items. They apply mehendi and wear traditional clothes like sari or lehenga. In the evening, all the women of a community gather and listen to the story of Karwa Chauth — which varies in each community. The storyteller is usually an older woman or a priest.
Once the moon has risen, women view it or its reflection in water through a sieve. Water is offered to the moon which is called 'Argh'. The husband takes water from the puja thali and offers it to the wife to break the fast. A feast is then served to mark the occasion.
