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Karwa Chauth is a Hindu festival where married women fast from sunrise to moonrise to pray for their husbands' longevity, prosperity, and safety. The festival, also known as Karaka Chaturthi, celebrates the sacred bond of marriage and is observed with rituals that include offering prayers to the moon and breaking the fast with water from their husband's hands.

Significance and Rituals

Longevity and Prosperity:
The primary significance of Karwa Chauth is the wife's devotion in fasting for the long life and well-being of her husband.
Sacred Bond:
The festival strengthens the emotional and spiritual bond between a husband and wife.

The Fast (Vrat):

Women observe a strict "nirjala vrat" (fast without food or water) from sunrise until the moon is sighted in the evening.

Moon Ritual:

A key ritual involves women looking at the moon through a sieve and then their husbands' faces through the same sieve to break their fast.

Gifts:

Modern celebrations often include husbands gifting their wives as a token of appreciation for their devotion.

Legends and Stories

Draupadi and the Mahabharata:

One legend recounts how Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, observed a fast for her husbands' safety and prosperity during the Mahabharata war.

Karwa and the Crocodile:

Another story features a devoted wife named Karwa who, through her unwavering devotion and quick thinking, saved her husband from a crocodile by threatening the god of death, Yamaraja.

Origins and Meaning

The name "Karwa Chauth" combines "Karwa," meaning an earthen pot used to offer water to the moon, and "Chauth," meaning the fourth day.

The festival falls on the fourth day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik.

Evolution of the Festival

While traditionally observed by women, Karwa Chauth is evolving, with some couples now fasting together and making it a celebration of their love and partnership.

Modern interpretations recognize women's roles beyond domestic duties, integrating traditional values with contemporary life.