Karwa Chauth is a Hindu festival celebrated in the north and west of the country. It is observed on the fourth day after Purnima in the month of Karthik. On this day, married women mainly fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands.
Popularly celebrated in the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu, western Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, the festival has its roots in the ancient times of Mahabharata. It is believed:
Draupadi for the welfare of her husband also performed Karwa Chauth. According to the scriptures, once Arjuna left for the Nilgiri mountains, his brothers faced challenges in his absence. To curb the problems, Draupadi did Karwa Chauth on the advice of her best friend, Lord Krishna.
Another folklore is about Queen Veeravati, the only sister of seven loving and caring brothers. It is said that a beautiful queen named Veeravati eagerly awaited the moonrise to quench her day-long thirst. And to end the queen’s fight, her brother created the illusion of the moon in the sky with a mirror.
Without being able to differentiate, the queen performed all the rituals and had food and water before the moonrise. At the same moment she took the first bite of it, someone came with the news of her husband’s death. After many prayers and requests to get her husband back, the goddess advised Veeravati to be the next Karwa Chauth with complete devotion. She performed all the rituals with utmost care and devotion and Yama restored the life of her husband.
What are the rituals of Karwa Chauth?
Preparations for Karwa Chauth begin with shopping, be it dresses, jewellery, cosmetics or other puja essentials. On the day of fasting, women wake up before dawn and eat Sargi, a special prepared by their mother-in-law. The fast begins at dawn and continues until moonrise.
Later in the evening, women dress up to perform puja and offer Arghya and prasad to Moon. Later, the husband offers water and food to his wives to express his gratitude.
Importance of moon sighting
According to tradition, a woman remains without food or water until the moon rises for the long life, well-being and prosperity of her husband. The Moon, the hair ornament of Lord Shiva, is worshiped on this day for several reasons:
- Goddess Parvati is considered to be the symbol of eternal marital bliss, as in each incarnation she married Shiva. So, women on this day through the moon ask the goddess to bless them with the same marital bliss.
- In addition, the planet is considered the god of medicines, so it is believed that worshiping the moon will improve health and consequently a long life.
- Hindu mythology cites the Moon, the ruler of the mind, as the brother of maa Laxmi. So when a woman looks at the moon through a sieve, she represents scattered thoughts subject to regulations. In simpler terms, a woman asks for stability in married life.
- Popularly in North India, the Karwa Chauth moon is seen as Lord Shiva and his son Lord Ganesha. And it is believed that women look at the moon through a sieve to filter only good and positive blessings for their family.
Karwachauth rituals and traditions differ across borders. Some wear their wedding dress, while in some houses, the mother-in-law gives a special dress to perform Karwa Chauth. Well, this special festival has attracted special attention from Bollywood in recent years.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: ptivs2.edu.vn