Karwa Chauth is mostly celebrated in the Northern part of India with a lot of enthusiasm. Married women start shopping for the day's outfits from a week, decide which mehndi to wear on hand and husbands too plan special surprises for their wives. The day is a celebration of marital bliss and love between couples. It emphasises the existence of their partners in their lives.
Karwa Chauth is observed by Hindu married women for their husband's healthy and long life. They spend the entire day fasting without eating or drinking anything. Married women wear new dresses, sarees or wedding lehengas to look their best on this day. They decorate their hands with mehndi and also, prepare delicacies on this day. The husband too shows his love for his wife by giving her gifts or expressing his feelings verbally or through doing something special for her.
Mythology
As per scriptures, when there was a war between deities and demons, Lord Brahma intervened and asked the deities' wives to observe a fast for their husbands and to seek blessings from Karwa Chauth Mata for their victory and since then the fast of Karwa Chauth came into existence.
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Why Karwa Chauth Is Celebrated?
Karva Chauth Story (History & Religious Significance)
Karva Chauth's story goes back to the time when a Brahmin named Vedsharma was happily married to Leelavati and had seven sons and one daughter named Veeravati in Indraprasthapur. Veeravati was the pampered one being the only daughter among seven sons.
Later, Veeravati got married and came to her parent's house one day and she observed the Karwa Chauth fast for her husband's healthy and long life. Her sisters-in-law (bhabhis) too were observing fast for Veeravati's brother.
Veeravati became weak due to fasting and she fainted. Her brothers couldn't see their sister in this condition and since they knew that Veeravati wouldn't break her fast without seeing the moon they decided to break her fast by lying to her.
One of the brothers tried to gimmick the moon's image by climbing a tall tree with a sieve and a lamp. On Veeravati regaining consciousness, her brothers made her believe that the moon had risen. So, Veeravati broke her fast on seeing the moon.
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But as soon as she started eating, she experienced in her first bite, she found a hair. As she ate the second bite, she sneezed, and on eating the third bite, she was called upon by her in-laws. After reaching the house, she found her husband's dead body.
She was shattered on seeing this and started blaming herself and crying on realising that she must have made some mistake while observing her Karwa Chauth and that's why this must have happened. Then, Goddess Indrani, the wife of God Indra appeared in front of her and explained Veeravati that she was made to break her fast without worshipping the moon which caused her husband's untimely death.
Goddess also advised Veeravati to start observing Chauth fast in all months of the year, including Karwa Chauth and which will please Karwa Chauth Mata and she will bring back her husband's life. Veeravati started following all fasts and Karwa Chauth fast with utmost dedication and by religiously performing all rituals.
Kawa Chauth Mata was pleased to see this and blessed her with his husband's life who gained consciousness and became alive. From then, married women started observing the Karwa Chauth fast for the long and healthy lives of their husbands. It has immense religious significance and it is a festival of celebration of married life.
