There are many interesting festivals in Hindu religion that leave us amazed from time to time. One of such festivals is Karwa chauth. Every year the festival is celebrated on Krishna Paksha Chaturthi in the month of Kartik. Usually known by the name of Kartik in North India, the month is known by the name of Ashwin in Gujarat, and states of South India. However, the different names of months don’t bring any change in the karwa chauth date 2023.
Karwa Chauth 2023
The woman of the whole country will observe a fast on this date for the betterment and long life of their husbands. According to Indian beliefs, women fast on this day to prolong the life of their husbands and bring happiness in their lives. In a few states, unmarried women also fast to get a good husband and happy married life. The date for Karwa Chauth is on Wednesday, 1st November 2023.
Although the festival is celebrated throughout the country, it holds more importance in the northern states of the country. The women in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh celebrate the festival with more pomp and show.
Women wait throughout the year to celebrate this festival. They get up early before the sunrise, take a shower and eat the food sent by their mother in laws. This food is known as sargi. They spend the entire day without consuming any food or liquid. Even the intake of water is prohibited in this fast. Women spend time with their friends and families. They listen to methodological stories and discuss their importance. In the evening, the fast is broken upon the arrival of the moon. Karwa chauth is often regarded as a romantic festival that symbolizes the love between couples.
The festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. People worship Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, and Lord Ganesha on this day. Women get together, perform pooja collectively, and listen to the Karwa chauth Katha.
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Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha
The story related to this festival adds a mystique flavor to it. It is the story of Veerawati, a lady with 7 brothers. She was so much pampered and loved by her brothers and parents even after getting married. The tale is about this devoted wife who sacrificed her all for the sake of her husband.
Once, Veerawati was visiting her parent’s house during the festival. Though she was away from her husband, her love and devotion motivated her to fast for him. She kept fast and engaged herself in the various activities during the day. She prayed for her husband’s long life throughout the day. However, it was hard for her to bear hunger, and she collapsed and fainted by the end of the day. Her brothers were heartbroken upon seeing her in such a condition. They could not see her sister this way.
They decided to do something. Veerwati’s devotion was well-known to them, and they knew that she would never put a drop of water in her mouth until she sees the moon. That’s how they decided to devise a plan.
One of her brothers climbed onto a tree and held a lamp high in the air. When Veerawati gained consciousness, the rest of her brothers took her to the terrace so that she can mistake the lamp to be the moon and break her fast. Believing her brothers, Veera brokers her fast eat food. She made the offering to the moon, taking it as the moon and prayed for her husband. She didn’t know that she was cheated.
While she sat eating food, she faced so many bad omens. She observed a strand of hair in her first bite, and her second bite made her sneeze. By the time, she took her third bite, she got a message for her home, and she was called back urgently. Upon arriving there, she came to know that her husband is dead. She was inconsolable at that time, and her mornings forced Devi Indrani to encounter her. She pleaded the Devi to get her husband back. Devi told her about her mistake and instructed her to perform the fast with complete dedication and honesty next year.
Veera did what she was told, and eventually, it leads to her husband’s coming back next year.
Till that date, Veerawati is the inspiration for married woman who loves their husband and wants them around for all their life.