|
|
|
|
Karwa Chauth is considered an important and auspicious day for married women. Traditionally the Indian woman was expected to uphold family honour and repute. And in order to do that, she was compared to myriad goddesses and heroines in Hindu mythology whose personal and spiritual achievements thus set the way of life for every Indian woman who. Hindu women fast on this day as they believe it ensures the well-being, prosperity and longevity of their husbands. Women dress up in their best finery, with henna-decked hands, bindis, colorful bangles, vermilion in their hair-parting and the best of jewelery. However, they do not eat even a morsel of food, neither drink a drop of water, from dawn till the moon rises. Finally, when the moon is sighted, the wife goes out to view it. The moon is worshiped and then she turns to view her husband's face through the pores of a sieve, praying for his long life. After performing the puja, its finally time for food.
The Legends of Karwa Chauth |
|
|
|
|
|
The earliest reference of a Karva Chauth can be found in the great epic of Mahabharata. As per Mahabharata, Arjun, a supreme warrior and one of the Pandavas, went to the Nilgiri Hills to offer his prayers and worship the gods. Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, was accompanying him. On the way, Draupadi was struck with fear believing that she was alone in the forest with no one to protect her. As she treated Lord Krishna as her Brother, she invoked him to appear before her and help her out of this grave situation. 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. |
|
|
|
|
|
A legend says that once on this day a young married woman, Veeravati observed this fast at her parent's house and her doting brothers could not bear to see her starve. So they lit a fire in the faraway woods, made her see it through a sieve as was the custom, and convinced her it was the moon. Hungry and relieved, she willed herself into believing this rather obvious trick and agreed to break her fast. The first morsel of food that she tried to eat had a stone in it, the second a strand of hair, and by the time she got to the third, news reached her that her husband had slipped into a death-like coma. She rushed to her husband's palace and on the way, she met Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati.
Parvati informed her that her husband died because she had broken her fast by watching a false moon. When asked 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. After years of torment and penance, she was restored to her rightful place as his wife. Ever since then, she observed Karva Chauth fast in strict conformity and led a happy prosperous and healthy, life with her husband and children. |
|
|
|
|
|
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. 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. To this day, Karva Chauth is celebrated with great faith and belief. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
