karwa chauth festival celebration

What, Why, When and How to celebrate Karvachauth/Karwachauth?

Karvachauth / Karwachauth is an important festival amongst the married women in India. Karwa means a “pot” and chauth means “fourth”, it is so named as the auspicious festival falls on the “fourth” day of Krishnapaksh in the month of Kartik (dark-fortnight), on this day wife fasts the whole day without water for her husband’s well being and the husband breaks her fast by offering her water from a “pot”.

These days Karwachauth is celebrated by young couples as a romantic festival which symbolises the unconditional love between them and also between the wife and her mother in law. Some husbands, for the well being of their better halfs, also keep fast on karvachauth. While those who do not, try and make the day as convenient for their wife as possible making sure she has all her pooja requirements, does not have to do the household chores and even take them out for a nice candlelight dinner in the evening so that they don’t have to cook food after a whole day of fast.
Young women and newly engaged women also keep this fast in the hopes of getting the perfect suitor for them who will love them a lot!

Traditional Story behind Karva Chauth/Karwa ChauthIn India, behind every festival/ritual there are always some mythological stories which are connected to us emotionally which is important to learn or teach about our culture, moral values and beliefs. So let’s see the popular stories behind the festival of love, Karva Chauth/ Krawa Chauth festival.

Tale of Queen Veervati
A long time ago, there was a beautiful girl by the name of Veervati and she was the sole sister of seven brothers who became queen after marrying a king at a young age. After her marriage, she celebrated her first day long fast at her parents’ home. In the evening because of her unbearable thirst and hunger she was desperately waiting for moon to rise and break her fast. Her seven brothers who loved her unconditionally, couldn’t see her in pain as a result they decided to end her fast by deluding her. To create a delusion of moon, the brothers reflected a mirror through a Pipal tree and Veervati thinking it was moonrise, broke the fast with food. The moment the queen ate her dinner, she received the news that her husband had died. Hearing the news she rushed to her husband’s place and on her way, she met lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Parvati told her the reason of king’s condition was because you broke your fast by watching a false moon. Veervati asked for forgiveness and since it was not her fault, the goddess forgave her and her husband was. In return, she took oath that she would undertake the Karva Chauth fast under strict rituals from then on.
Tale of Draupadi and PandavsIn the Mahabharata times, when Arjun went to Nilgiris for self-punishment at that time his other four brothers were facing many troubles in his absences. So, Draupadi remembered Lord Krishna in the her hard times for the help. As a help Lord Krishna told her the story that Goddess Parvati had sought Lord Shiva’s guidance under similar circumstances and he advised the goddess Parvati to keep fast for a day. Then Draupadi kept the fast with same ritual and after that the Pandavas were able to overcome their problems.
Tale of KarvaIn India there is belief that many years ago, there was a woman in the name of Karva who was deeply devoted in love with her husband. One day she was bathing with her husband in a river and suddenly crocodile came near to her husband to caught him. Karva’s deep love for her husband gave her power and she bounded the crocodile by cotton yarn and told yamraj to send crocodile in hell as a punishment but yamaraj refused. And she became very angry and frightened him by the curse of destroying him. Then petrified Yamraj sent crocodile to hell and blessed Karva’s husband for long life. After many years of this incidence they enjoyed many years of togetherness and this day is celebrated as Karva Chauth in memory of great and devoted love.

When is Karvachauth being celebrated in 2017 ?This year karvachauth falls on 8th October (Sunday) and shubh muhurat (auspicious time) are as follows:

Quick details of the Karva Chauth day in 2017
Karva Chauth starts at 8 October/करवा चौथ तिथि 8 अक्तूबर
Karva Chauth puja muhurat-17:55 to 19:09/करवा चौथ पूजा मुहूर्त- 17:55 से 19:09
Moonrise-20:14/चंद्रोदय- 20:14
Karva Chauth ends at- 14:16 (9 october)/चतुर्थी तिथि समाप्त- 14:16 (9 अक्तूबर)

What to do and how to do fast on Karwa Chauth/karva Chauth?Karvachauth is an auspicious festival celebrated for the longevity and prosperity of the husband. There a few rituals, stories and pooja’s to be done on this day. Let us help you plan for the day. If specially this is your first karvachauth, this guide will come in handy.