Romance in moonlight, the essence of Karwachauth
If the husband fasts too, who will pamper the wife? Women get to dress up and get that ‘bride-like’ feel on this day; do we want to share it with the men?
Karwachauth is a beautiful fast that Indian women in the North observe, to celebrate conjugal bliss. ‘Karwa’ means mud pot and ‘Chauth’ means 4th day. Karwachauth is celebrated on the 4th day of the Kartik month, which falls on Oct 10th this year. Married women take water in a mud pot and offer Arghya to the moon and pray for marital blessings.
My generation and our seniors, celebrate this festival with aplomb. The younger generation sometimes feels that this festival makes the woman a mite inferior than the man. I differ from this thought.
The very fact that a woman has the strength to fast from sunrise to moonrise and pray for the long life and good health of her husband, makes her stronger and dearer. I often hear murmurs about why men should not fast for their wives. Today’s world is all about equal rights for women. But when it comes to - Karwachauth, why should we even want to share the pampering? If the husband fasts too, who will pamper the wife? Women get to dress up and get that ‘bride-like’ feel on this day; do we want to share it with the men?
As per tradition, readymade foods like Mathi, Feni and Mithai etc. are available so that the fasting ladies do not have to cook on that day and the family too can enjoy the festive eats.
Mother’s-in-law pamper the fasting young girls. Waking up before the break of dawn and having Sargi is an exciting prelude to the day-long fast. Karwachauth is the day when women can spend time in prayer or with friends and family, applying henna to hands and feet, dressing up like brides and wearing all the jewellery that is stowed away in the locker. Yes, the Maang-tikka, payal , bichhuae, earrings, rings, bangles and much more can be worn! Glass bangles are another delicate girly ornament that is worn with passion on this day. This is the day when each woman, young and old can re-live her wedding day.
When I see women with salt and pepper in their hair, wrinkled hands, sagging cheeks and unsteady gaits, wearing sindoor, bangles and bindis, their faces radiant and happy, it’s a lovely feeling. When the aged husbands join the romance of offering them a sip of water in the moonlight, after Chand-puja, it is like the cutest of couple-goals!
The folk song about Karwachauth, tells about Veerawati, a woman who broke her fast, under a misconception and her husband became unconscious; his body riddled with pins and needles. She spent an entire year, removing the pins and needles from his body. When she stepped out to buy a Karwa, her maid removed the last of the needles. The husband woke up and thought that the maid had tended to him during his illness and took her to be his wife. Veerawati kept the Karwachauth fast and sang, “The maid became the queen; the queen became the maid ...” When the man heard this, he realised what had happened and came back to his wife. Well, the legend is a legend and has its share of quirks in it. Let’s just concentrate on the soul of the festival, go with the flow and enjoy the festivities and the romance around it!
The best explanation of pins and needles is the one given by my father. He said that the sharp words exchanged between the couple, pierce like pins and needles. Removing them is like making up, apologising and giving more love and care.
The bond of marriage is sacrosanct. Just nourish and cherish it!
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This piece is published in the Indian Express on 06.10.2025 https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/timeless-tales-romance-in-moonlight-the-essence-of-karwachauth-10289301/lite/
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