UCLU Hindu Society

7th October 2009: Today is the Hindu festival of Karva Chauth. As the name signifies, ‘Karva’ meaning a clay pot and ‘chauth’ corresponding to the fourth, this festival is commemorated on the fourth day after the Full Moon in the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar. The festival is glorified and widely solemnized by many Hindus all over the world. On this day it is customary for the wife to fast for the whole day. She does not drink water either. She paints her hands and feet with henna, dresses generally in red apparel and on her hair parting she smears vermilion powder. This Karva Chauth fast is undertaken by the wife, to ensure that the husband enjoys a long and prosperous life.

A few days before Karva Chauth, married women buy new karvas, the spherical clay pots, and paint them on the outside with beautiful designs. Inside the pot, they put bangles and ribbons, home-made candy and sweets, make-up items and small clothes. The women then visit each other on the day of Karva Chauth or immediately afterwards, and exchange these karvas. Season-wise, soon after the harvest, it is an excellent time to enjoy festivities, meet one another and exchange gifts. During the time of Karva Chauth, parents send gifts to their married daughters and their children.

There are many stories that suggest the origin of Karva Chauth. The following is one such story that we were able to find:

In ancient times, girls used to get married at a very early age, and had to go to live with their in-laws in other villages. After marriage, if she faces any problem with her in-laws or her husband, she would have no one from whom to seek support. Her own parents and relatives would be quite far and unreachable. Thus the custom started that, at the time of marriage, when a bride would reach her in-laws, she would befriend another woman there who would be her friend or sister for life. In the same way that we have a god-mother or a god-father today, they were considered to be like god-sisters. Once the bride and this other woman had become god-friends or god-sisters, they would remain so all their lives and recognize the relation as such.

Later in life, if the woman faces any difficulty relating to her husband or in-laws, she would be able to confidently talk to or seek help from her god-sister. Thus, Karva Chauth was started as a festival to celebrate this relationship between the once-brides and their god-sisters. Fasting and praying for their husbands came later and is secondary. The husband would always be associated with this festival because the day of starting this holy friendship between two god-sisters was essentially the day of the girl’s marriage. Sources: http://www.karwachauth.com/origin-and-significance.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karwa_Chauth.

If you know of any other stories relating to the origin of Karva Chauth, please feel free to share them with us! Leave a comment!