‘Karva Chauth’ is a popularly known Hindu festival broadly celebrated by Hindu married women. Married women, especially newlyweds, observe a full day fasting without water and food from sunrise till moonrise for their husband’s longevity, prosperity, and safety.
In northern India, like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, etc., this single day celebration is mostly seen. Karva Chauth festival takes place on the fourth day after the full moon (Purnima) in Hindu month Karthik, according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar. The Karva Chauth fast has some rituals to follow. Likewise, on that day, before sunrise, women take “Sargi” (a meal or plate full of dry and fresh fruits and sweets), given by their mother-in-law.
Then the women apply beautiful henna or Mehendi designs on both hands. Further, the ladies consolidate in a group to listen to the ‘Karva Chauth Vrat Katha’.
To break their fasting, they perform Karva Chauth puja after seeing the moon and the husband face. The husband makes his wife drink water from a sacred water pot and feeds some food with his own hands.
As Karva means ‘Pot’ and Chauth means ‘fourth’, thereby, it signifies the name of the festival. All married women should consider this fasting to enhance their husband’s lifespan.
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