Karva Chauth
Also spelled as Karwa Chauth, Karva Chauth is a popular Hindu festival in India observed by married women, especially residing in the northern region of India. According to the traditional Hindu calendar, it falls in the month of Kartik during the Krishna Paksha Chaturthi.
On the day of Karva Chauth every year, married women who observe it, fast from the sunrise till the moonrise. This fast is a nirjala vrat, meaning, the ones keeping it can consume neither food nor water. The women keep this fast for the safety, health and well being of their husbands.
The married women on this day can have food and water only once they break their fast, and that happens at moon rise, as they offer water to the moon and watch it through a sieve (aata channi) followed by watching their husbands’ face through it. This year, the mahurat for the Karva Chauth Puja is from 6.03 p.m. to 7.17 p.m. The moon will be rising at around 8.27 p.m.
The tithi of Karva Chauth will begin at around 4.58 p.m. on the 8th of October, Sunday and will go on till 2.16 p.m. of the 9th of October, which is Monday.
The festival of Karva Chauth is mainly an exclusive event for the women and men are thoroughly excluded from it till the part of the moon rise comes, as it is only after seeing their husbands’ faces can the women break their fasts.
The husbands though often become more attentive towards their wives on this day as the latter fast for them, and these days, many husbands too choose to observe the Karva Chauth fast, promoting gender equality, with the belief that if women can starve for the safety and well being of their husbands, then why can’t men do the same for their wives?