Karwa Chauth 2021: Here are the beliefs and stories behind this festival

Celebrating Karwa Chauth is an age-old ritual that stems from Indian mythological stories. The word karwa means a ‘clay pot.’ And chauth means the fourth day of Krishna Paksh (waning moon phase) according to the Hindu calendar month of Karthik.

Karwa Chauth 2021: Dates and Timings

This year, Karwa Chauth will be celebrated on Sunday, 24th October 2021. The timings of the tithi begin from 3:01 pm on 24th October and will end at 5:43 am the
following day. The auspicious Karwa Chauth katha pooja timing is from 6:09 pm to 7:24 pm this year.

The stories behind the belief: 

The Karwa Chauth story has more than one version based on different mythological beliefs. One of the most popular stories is that of princess Veervati and her seven brothers who loved her dearly. Once, the newly-wed princess was visiting her mother. She kept a fast for her husband’s long life and would not eat till the moon rose. However, as the night fell and the moon was nowhere to be seen, she couldn’t bear to stay hungry. So her brothers shone a mirror from the treetop, making her believe that it was the moon. She ate her first morsel of the day, and after a while, she got the news that her husband had passed away. However, she would not let
his body go and was adamant that he be returned.

She prayed to Lord Yama and seeing her dedication, he revived her husband. Ever since then, the tradition has gained more importance. Another version of the story originates from the Mahabharata. Once Arjun went to the forest for ‘tapa’, to attain divine weapons. That was the last year of his exile when he had to stay
undiscovered. Hence he was nowhere to be found.

Draupadi was worried about his well-being, so Krishna advised her to observe the fast of Karwa Chauth - a ritual whose secrets were shared by Lord Shiva himself with Parvati.

How to celebrate Karwa Chauth

Different cultures have different ways of celebrating the festival; however the most common
rituals observed are:

● The mother-in-law prepares a ‘sargi’ (plate of delicacies such as dry fruit, paratha, curry etc) for the daughter in law, which is to be consumed before sunrise.

● Post that, the wife observes a day-long ‘nirjal’ (without food and water) fast for her husband.

● In the evening, during the pooja mahurat, the women conduct a katha pooja for which they make a ‘karwa mata’ (idol of the Goddess) from wheat dough and decorate it with kajal, bindi, lipstick, sindoor etc. They put a shrifal (coconut), chunri, and light a diya (a ghee lamp). They then narrate the story or Karwa Chauth Katha. (In some regions, women invoke the blessings of Shiva-Parvati or Ganesha as well)

● Post the katha pooja, the women prepare a plate for the chandrama (moon) pooja, with a sieve, a karwa filled with water, and an earthen lamp. Once the moon rises, they watch the moon and then the face of the husband through the sieve. Then they give ‘argha’ and pray for the long life of their husband.

● The husband then gives water from the karwa to help the wife break her fast.

● The ritual is then followed by a lavish feast of rich Indian delicacies and a load of sweets.

Significance 

This festival signifies the dedication of the wife towards her husband’s well-being and long life. Women are looked upon as the pillar of creation and maintaining society, beginning with her family. And to commemorate this dedication, the pratha/ tradition of Karwa Chauth was adopted, which then evolved into a festivity and has continued over years.

Of course, in modern times, a lot of men also fast along with their wives as a gesture of support and love. This festival is truly a traditional way of celebrating the bond and friendship of a couple.