Karwa Chauth 2021

Indian culture is known for and has a legacy of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs and belief systems. The Indian cultural heritage is very rich and each relationship here has special meaning and relevance for people living here. There are days dedicated to value and express our love, respect and gratitude to specific social relationships. However the celebration here does not involve solely partying or making merry as in the West. It involves worshiping the lord, observing fast and many other rituals to express our gratitude and pray for the well-being of the person. One such sacred festival honoring the husband-wife relationship is Karwa Chauth.

Karwa Chauth 2021 Date and Timings :-

Karwa Chauth Date : Sunday, October 24, 2021
Karwa Chauth Puja Muhurat - 06:08 PM to 07:23 PM
Karwa Chauth Upavasa Time - 06:37 AM to 08:42 PM
Moonrise on Karwa Chauth Day - 08:42 PM
Chaturthi Tithi Begins - 03:01 AM on Oct 24, 2021
Chaturthi Tithi Ends - 05:43 AM on Oct 25, 2021

 

 
What is Karwa-Chauth?

Karwa Chauth is a festival which is celebrated majorly by Hindu Women on the Chaturthi(Fourth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the Kartik month. On this day married women observe fast from sunrise to the rise of the moon, for the long life and good health of their husbands. They follow a number of rituals starting before sunrise (sargi) which is continued throughout the day and concluded after praying to the Moon God. They consume food after praying to the Moon God and paying respect to their husbands. The festival is more popular in the states of Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh. 

How is Karwa Chauth celebrated?

The preparation for the Karwa Chauth fast begins a few days before the festival. Women buy Karwa (small earthen pots), new traditional clothes, sweets and other ornaments for themselves and other married women of the family like mother or mother in law. Most of them apply mehendi (henna) designs on their hands to symbolize the holy bond of matrimony which is considered to be auspicious in the Hindu household. On the day of the fast, the first ritual which many women follow is having a pre-dawn meal or sargi. It is considered to be an important ritual and helps women to sustain without food and water for the whole day. A number of other rituals and pujas are done during the day. Women wear bright-colored traditional clothes like salwar-suit or saree, and jewellery as well. During sunset all women gather and perform pooja along with their karwas while reciting Karwa Chauth story. Women then eagerly wait for the moonrise to complete the rituals and break the fast. Once sighted, Moon God is worshipped by offering water, incense and light through the sieve, with prayers for long life, health and happiness of one’s husband. After this wife tries to get a glimpse of the husband through the same sieve, it is believed that the sieve filters all the negative feelings.

Karwa Chauth Story :-

Although there are a number of folktales citing when and how Karwa Chauth was first celebrated and why. The most popular one which is recited on the day of Karwa Chauth is the story of a sister and seven brothers.

Story of Veeravati and seven brothers

Long ago there was a Brahmin couple Vedsharma and his wife Leelavati. They had seven sons and one daughter named Veeravati. The girl being the sole sister among seven brothers, was very much loved and pampered by the brothers. After marriage the sister went to her in-laws home. The brothers bid her farewell with a heavy heart. One year passed and on the day of her first Karwa Chauth, as per the traditions she visited her maternal home. The brothers were really happy to greet her, but were saddened by seeing their dear sister hungry and thirsty. They tried to convince her to eat something but the sister was determined to complete the fast and eat only after moonrise. Not able to witness their beloved sister being hungry and weak, they came up with a plan to make a fake moon image. One of the brothers climbed up to the highest building and took a sieve, the other lit a flame and held it behind the sieve. It gave an illusion of the moon. The other brothers took their sister on the rooftop to show the moon.  The naïve sister believed them and worshipped the false moon, and began to eat food thereafter. The moment she consumed one bite of food, the unfortunate news of husband being dead came. She was heartbroken and inconsolable, and started praying to the Goddess, who, moved by Veeravati’s mourning, appeared and told her about the trickery of her brothers. She asked her to go to husband’s home and be around his body. She guided her to keep monthly fasts of Chauth till next Karwa Chauth by following all rituals and blessed her that husband would be brought back to life after the completion of the Karwa Chauth fast with full devotion. Veeravati did as was told and as a result of her accumulated merits, her husband came back to life and she was reunited with him.
With the hope that their husbands also will be blessed with a long life, the Hindu women observe this fast. Another legend behind Karwa Chauth is the story of Draupadi

Mahabharata Story

The other folklore behind Karwa Chauth Vrat and fasting for one’s husband goes back to the era of Dwapar Yug or Mahabharta. It is believed that Draupadi had also observed this fast for the longevity and safety of her five husbands. When Arjuna went for penitence to the Nilgiris mountains, he did not return for a long time. The other brothers also faced many challenges during his absence. That’s when Draupadi remembered and prayed to Lord Krishna for his help. Lord Krishna counseled her and told her about the fast that Goddess Parvati observed for Lord Shiva, when faced with a similar situation. Draupadi was inspired and she observed the fast of Karwa Chauth for her husbands following all rituals. Consequently Arjuna returned back safely and Pandavas were successful in overcoming all the problems and challenges. 

What is the Significance of Karwa Chauth ?

Karwa Chauth is a symbol of love, unison, understanding, commitment in a husband wife relationship. Lately many men have also started observing the fast for their wives. This expression of love from both women and men is very special and unique as the foundation of it lies in sacrifice, giving and caring for each other.   

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask us in the comments section

Happy Karwa Chauth!