Pooja Values
The term ‘Karva’ means lamp and an earthen pot with a spout, while the ‘Chauth’ means the fourth day of Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik. This year Karva Chauth will fall on Oct 13, 2022. While married women observe the fast for the longevity and well-being of their husbands, some maidens also perform Karva Chauth Pooja with a desire to get a good partner.
Women primarily keep fast for the safety and health of their husbands and ask Lord Shiva to protect their husbands from every difficulty. Women break their fast by making various offerings to the moon. Here’s all you need to know about the festival.
Karva Chauth Pooja: Do’s & Don’ts
As per the Hindu tradition, Karva Chauth is the most crucial festival for women, especially those who are married. On Karva Chauth, women wake up early, finish their morning chores, and then worship Lord Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesha as per the Karva Chauth Pooja vidhi, and then they eat something, but this is done before Sunrise.
This day begins with a small early morning prayer and proceeds with ‘Sargi’- a food platter containing curry, parathas, coconut water, and dry fruits. Women eat sargi after the bath as it prepares them for the whole day of fasting. It keeps them energetic and allows them to stay without food and water the whole day.
Once the Sun rises, women start their fast and do not even drink a drop of water. After sunset, when the moon rises, they look at the face of their husband through a sieve and then break their fast. Women also don clothes of Auspicious colors for Karva Chauth.
On Karva Chauth, women are generally advised not to indulge in strenuous activities. Moreover, even after breaking the fast, light food should be consumed. Women observing Karva Chauth are also advised not to use scissors, needles, or knives in the food preparations either. Women of different Zodiac Signs celebrate Karva Chauth differently, too.
Legends Behind Karwa Chauth
Karva Chauth falls in the wheat sowing season, which is at the beginning of the Rabi crop season. In ancient times, the wheat was stored in huge earthen pots, also called ‘Karva’, and since it falls on the fourth day of the Kartik month, it began to be called Karva Chauth. Women would pray for their husbands to reap a rich harvest. Then there is the belief that if unmarried women observe a fast on this day, they are likely to get the partner of their dreams.
