Among regional festivals that have been most widely publicised by Bollywood, Karva Chauth takes the pride of place — along with Mumbai’s Ganesh Festival. But while Ganesh is a pan-Indian Hindu deity, most would never have known the quaint one-day festival called Karva Chauth — had it not been for Hindi cinema.
Post marriage romance has been a perennial theme of Bollywood and Karva Chauth fitted the bill. However much the modern independent women may bristle, filmgoers just loved the subtle love and devotion displayed by married Hindu women who observed a day long fast to ensure the well-being and longevity of their husbands. But it’s more satisfying to see many husbands observing a reciprocal fast nowadays — which is quite unconventional, but it conveys the message.
The ritual is held on the fourth day of the dark fortnight after Kojagari Purnima, in the month of Kartik of the Hindu lunar calendar, usually around the middle of October. North Indian states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan observe the vrat, but it is not so popular in Bihar and other Hindi-speaking areas of the East. Karva Devi, Parvati, and Chauth are goddesses to whom the prayers are dedicated, while gods like Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya are also worshipped for their blessings.
The term Karva Chauth is made up of two words, ‘Karva,’ which means an earthen pot with a spout and ‘Chauth’ which means fourth lunar day. Women offer water to the moon when it is sighted —with the spouted clay vessel. It is clearly a folk ritual as there are no priests and cumbersome rites. People believe that this festival originated from women praying for the safe return of their husbands who had left home to fight wars or to trade in far off lands.
As expected, mythological tales abound, the best known one being the ancient one of Savitri-Satyavan. The devoted wife brought back her husband from the jaws of death with her determination and prayers — quite like Behula in Bengal. Another story is that of Veervati, the only sister of seven loving brothers. When her brothers could not bear to see her fast so rigorously for her husband, they misled her into believing that the moon had risen. Veervati broke her fast but soon received the terrible news of her husband’s death. She just did not accept it and prayed even more rigorously for a whole year until the gods brought back her husband to life
On the evening before Karva Chauth, the mother of the woman sends Bayaa, consisting of clothes, coconut, sweets, fruits and sindoor (vermillion) for her daughter and gifts for the mother-in-law. Even gifts serve as markers of the marital status of Hindu women, like toe rings, anklets, glass bangles, vermillion, bindi/tika and alta, a red border applied around the feet). Women also apply mehendi (henna) on their hands.
The family wakes up before sunrise on the day of Karva Chauth and married women consume Sargi meal of fresh fruits, dry fruits, sweets, chapatis and vegetables offered by the mother-in-law. In the late afternoon, women come together with their respective thalis containing coconuts, fruits, dry fruits, a diya (lamp), a glass of kachi lassi (a drink made of milk and water), sweet mathri and the gifts that are for the mother-in-law. They encircle the idol of Gaura Maa (Goddess Parvati) and the story of Karva Chauth is narrated by a wise elderly woman. Then they start to rotate the thalis around the circle, the thali batana as it’s called, and sing folk songs.
It is soon time to look at the sky, usually from the rooftop, to catch a glimpse of the moon. This they view through a Channi (sieve) and break their fast only then — after offering kachi lassi to the moon and reciting a prayer for their husbands.
Folk festivals and those that have a touch of patriarchy are dying out all over the world — but this one has been given a new life by Bollywood.