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Karva Chauth is the festival celebrated by Hindus and the Punjabis
Karva Chauth is celebrated on the 4th day after the full moon which comes in the month of Kartik according to the Hindu calendar
The custom
Karva Chauth is a festival that is celebrated by bride and married women. This festival is mainly celebrated in North India. On the auspicious occasion married women fast for the whole day for their husbands and for children. She observes this as she believes that fasting can provide long life for her husband. The main aim of this festival is to strengthen the bond of love and respect between the couple.
As we all known that marriages in India are sacred binding of not just two persons but is a close binding of two families. Married women are supposed to fast on this day and prayer for their husband's long life and prosperity. Karva Chauth is derived from Sanskrit; Karva means a pot made of earthen clay and Chauth is means 4th day. This festival is mainly celebrated just 9 days before Diwali.
There are some traditional story related to this Karva Chauth such as
Queen Veeravati
There was a beautiful queen named Veeravati. She was the only sister among the seven brothers; she got married to a King. On her first Karva Chauth after her marriage, but she was at her parents' house. After sunrise she observed fast which was very strict. She was not able to stand the fast anymore and was desperately waiting for the moon to come. The seven brothers loved her very much, and they were disturbed to see the stress of their sister and decided to break her fast. Then the seven brothers reflected a mirror though the tree leaves. Thinking that is was the moon rise she broke her fast and as soon as she broke her fast, she received a bad news that her husband King is passed away.
Hearing this she wept the whole night. Then suddenly a goddess appeared and told her the truth of her brothers. She pleaded in front of the goddess to return her husband and the goddess was impressed. Goddess told her to observe fast for next year with all the rituals and she followed and got her husband back.
Legend of Karva
This is a very well-known story about a woman named Karva; she was dedicated to her husband. Once when her husband was having bath, he was trapped by a crocodile. Karva bound that crocodile with the help of a cotton yarn. She asked Yama, as he was the god of death to through the crocodile into the hell. He followed and sent that crocodile to the hell. After that they both lived a happy married life hence forth. This all happened on the day of Karva Chauth.
Celebration of Karva Chauth
On this fortunate day married woman fast for the whole day from the sunrise to the moon rise without eating or drinking anything. Woman gets dressed up in a very special way with jewelries and applying mehendi on their hands. They first watch the moon from the net then pour water from the earthen pot, and then do Puja of their husband, and finally their husbands feed their respected wife with some sweet. On this day relatives gather at one place to enjoy these special moments of joy and love.
Traditional food
The traditional foods prepared on this occasion are rabdi, dum aloo, aloo tikki, Badam puri, and broken wheat kheer.
Karva Chauth is a festival which makes the bond of a husband and wife stronger and lovable. Husbands offer return gift to their wife's for fasting for them and praying for their long life and their welfare.
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