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'Karva Chauth'
is observed by married women for the long lives, prosperity and well being
of their husbands and is most popular in North India. This Hindu religious
festival has a great social and cultural significance in India where women
apply henna paste on their hands, adorn themselves with bridal make-up heavy
jewellery and attires and give gifts to their in-laws, especially,
mother-in-law as a token of thanks to raise a worthy son for being their
husband.
The important rituals
involving Karva Chauth include worshipping 'karvas' spherical clay pots with
symbols for married women and sweets. They are later exchanged with other
married women. People observe fasts all days long, then worship the 'karva'
and say legends associated to the festival. Later, they wait for the moon to
rise and as soon as it rises, they worship the moon and their husbands and
ask for their blessings. Then, the husbands would help their wives to break
the fasts by giving them the first drink of water from their own hands and
giving them the first bite of food. This ends the fast of the ladies. Later,
husbands generally gift their wives with gifts such as new sarees or
jewellery pieces. |
