Long Live the Man!
Today I celebrate my first karwachauth. It is indeed a beautiful feeling. My mom-n-law came down from India especially to give me my first sargi...I was just overwelhmed with the whole thing.It's 10:21 am and I am so excited about this.
Many of you who would be reading this maybe don't know about this occassion and why is it performed...Ahem Ahem...Allow me...
The story goes like this... The Legend Of Karva
According to a legend, a woman named Karva was deeply devoted to her husband. One day while bathing, he was caught by a crocodile. Karva came running and bound the crocodile with a cotton yarn. She then went to Yama, the Lord of the death, and requested him to send the offending crocodile to hell. When Yama refused, she threatened to curse him. Afraid of the power of a devoted wife, Yama readily accepted and sent the crocodile to Yamalok or hell, and blessed Karva's husband with long life.
So from then on, women around the world dedicate this one day to their husband and fast for their long life.
The wife or even the to-be wife (in this case..moi), wakes up before dawn,bathes,prays and the mother-n-law gives you your sargi which involves gifts and dry fruits as custom.The girl then eats a meal which needs to have a delicacy called pheny(milk with like a noodle thing in it...it tastes ew!...sorry but i hate milk!) and then you dont have a thing (no food or water) till the moon comes out in the night and then you need to perform a prayer again and break your fast with your husband in front of you..if the husband is not available (like out of town) then break the fast with the help of his snap..(I swear..this is for real...cool or what?).
Well this was the information we all have received..untill i did some net surfing on the topic..(Hey I wanted to know more..) and this is what the REAL STORY is....
The fast of Karva Chauth is of particular importance to Hindu women as they believe it ensures the well-being, prosperity and longevity of their husbands. The origin of this festival was based on a very sweet and noble idea. Though this idea has lost its true sense as today the whole outlook of this festival has changed.
Long time back, girls used to get married at a very early stage, and had to go and live with their in-laws in other villages. If she had any problems with her husband or in-laws, she would have no one to talk to or seek support from. Her own parents and relatives would be quite far and unreachable. There used to be no telephones, buses and trains long ago. Thus the custom started that, at the time of marriage, when bride would reach her in-laws, she would befriend another woman there who would be her friend or sister for life. It would be like god-friends or god-sisters. Their friendship would be sanctified through a small Hindu ceremony right during the marriage.
Once the bride and this woman had become god-friends or god-sisters, they would remain so all their lives and recognize the relation as such. They would also treat each other like real sisters. During any difficulty later in life, involving even the husband or in-laws, these women would be able to confidently talk or seek help from each other. Thus Karva Chauth started as a festival to celebrate this friendship (relationship) between the once-brides and their god-friends (god-sisters). Praying and fasting for the sake of husband came later and is secondary. It was probably added, along with other mythical tales, to enhance the festival.
In any case, 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 bride's marriage to him. Thus praying and fasting for him by his wife during a celebration of her relationship with the god-friend would be quite logical.Thus, originally Karva Chauth is once a year festival to renew and celebrate the relationship between god-friends (god-sisters). It had a tremendous social and cultural significance once when world lacked the ways to communicate and move around easily.
(details courtesy www.karwachauth.com)
Hmmm....there..case solved!Whatever the story, having my first experience..I can vouch it's fun and ofcourse it's got that traditional touch in everything ..like in kabhi khushi kabhi ghum(hehheheh).
Sigh! Did I mention..I'm kinda thirsty :-s ;)
Many of you who would be reading this maybe don't know about this occassion and why is it performed...Ahem Ahem...Allow me...
The story goes like this... The Legend Of Karva
According to a legend, a woman named Karva was deeply devoted to her husband. One day while bathing, he was caught by a crocodile. Karva came running and bound the crocodile with a cotton yarn. She then went to Yama, the Lord of the death, and requested him to send the offending crocodile to hell. When Yama refused, she threatened to curse him. Afraid of the power of a devoted wife, Yama readily accepted and sent the crocodile to Yamalok or hell, and blessed Karva's husband with long life.
So from then on, women around the world dedicate this one day to their husband and fast for their long life.
The wife or even the to-be wife (in this case..moi), wakes up before dawn,bathes,prays and the mother-n-law gives you your sargi which involves gifts and dry fruits as custom.The girl then eats a meal which needs to have a delicacy called pheny(milk with like a noodle thing in it...it tastes ew!...sorry but i hate milk!) and then you dont have a thing (no food or water) till the moon comes out in the night and then you need to perform a prayer again and break your fast with your husband in front of you..if the husband is not available (like out of town) then break the fast with the help of his snap..(I swear..this is for real...cool or what?).
Well this was the information we all have received..untill i did some net surfing on the topic..(Hey I wanted to know more..) and this is what the REAL STORY is....
The fast of Karva Chauth is of particular importance to Hindu women as they believe it ensures the well-being, prosperity and longevity of their husbands. The origin of this festival was based on a very sweet and noble idea. Though this idea has lost its true sense as today the whole outlook of this festival has changed.
Long time back, girls used to get married at a very early stage, and had to go and live with their in-laws in other villages. If she had any problems with her husband or in-laws, she would have no one to talk to or seek support from. Her own parents and relatives would be quite far and unreachable. There used to be no telephones, buses and trains long ago. Thus the custom started that, at the time of marriage, when bride would reach her in-laws, she would befriend another woman there who would be her friend or sister for life. It would be like god-friends or god-sisters. Their friendship would be sanctified through a small Hindu ceremony right during the marriage.
Once the bride and this woman had become god-friends or god-sisters, they would remain so all their lives and recognize the relation as such. They would also treat each other like real sisters. During any difficulty later in life, involving even the husband or in-laws, these women would be able to confidently talk or seek help from each other. Thus Karva Chauth started as a festival to celebrate this friendship (relationship) between the once-brides and their god-friends (god-sisters). Praying and fasting for the sake of husband came later and is secondary. It was probably added, along with other mythical tales, to enhance the festival.
In any case, 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 bride's marriage to him. Thus praying and fasting for him by his wife during a celebration of her relationship with the god-friend would be quite logical.Thus, originally Karva Chauth is once a year festival to renew and celebrate the relationship between god-friends (god-sisters). It had a tremendous social and cultural significance once when world lacked the ways to communicate and move around easily.
(details courtesy www.karwachauth.com)
Hmmm....there..case solved!Whatever the story, having my first experience..I can vouch it's fun and ofcourse it's got that traditional touch in everything ..like in kabhi khushi kabhi ghum(hehheheh).
Sigh! Did I mention..I'm kinda thirsty :-s ;)
posted by || sbk || at
11:10 PM
8 Comments:
Congratulations on your first karwachauth sbk. (And all the best!). Hope your fiance is also fasting today!
~ Arun
so how did it go for u? :)
i remember as a kid accompanying mom to those ceremonies in the evening when women dress up and sit in a circle n pass arn their thalis.
Arun: Thanku..Yes,my sweetheart of a fiance did fast..!
pixel8: It was good..but frankly by the end of it i was getting a little agitated..coz i was feeling really thirsty...But all in all great stuff. Thanku for stopping by my blog though..
Good! My compliments to him! He is one of those rare species.
~ A
Hey just stopping by from pixie's blog ... first fast huh must have been something special :)
I don't observe the fast but I do stay hungry with my mum :)
Oh ..I have heard an entirely different story of Karwa Chauth!
Long live the Man and the Woman too!
Arun: Thanku :)
Sangeeta: thnx for stopping by..it was fun..but my fiance wasn't with me so really missed him!
Manish: I know..imagine,the story was completely different wasn't it?
Hemanshu: Shucks! I'm not in Dubai,am in Muscat for some office project till the 10 Nov.Hope you enjoy your stay in Dubai..Notice how much it has changed! Will probably catch up when I return to India. Cheers!
In south India the same faith is followed on a differnt day of the year with a different story behind it. In north it is celebrated with Moon and fasting is completed after veiwing the full moon. In south it is done early morning with a different style. Mostly this is followed in the Brahmin sect of south india.
The story or myth has the same base line that devoted wife " savitri " goes to yama and brings back her dead husband alive with three vowes from YAMA. Actually the last vow makes Yama to revoke her dead husband indirectly. but the screen play is different. south indian Myth is more different with lot of twist and logic.
I believed it is done by the woman of north after marriage. In your latest blog you mentioned " Your fiancee" and in this blog you mentioned you did the karwachauth. Hmm this is interesting to know about the cross culture information.
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