{{Unreliable sources|date=October 2023}}{{short description|Festival celebrated by Hindu women}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox holiday | caption = Women view the moon through sieves during Karwa Chauth | observedby = Married Hindu women, in some areas, unmarried Hindu women{{efn|In parts of Bengal, Assam, Dibang Valley, Lohit, Anjaw, Namsai, and lower Bhutan, teenage boys take part<ref name="ref64ruxax" />}}<ref name="ref01zohah">{{Citation|author=Sohindar Singh Waṇajara Bedi|title=Folklore of the Punjab|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jV8tAAAAMAAJ|publisher=National Book Trust|quote=... Sometimes even unmarried girls observe this fast and pray for their wife-to-be ...|year=1971}}</ref> | date = {{Hindu festival date}} | celebrations = Puja | observances = Fasting by married women | relatedto = Dussehra and Diwali | type = Hinduism | holiday_name = Karva Chauth | nickname = Karaka Chaturthi | image = | date2026 = 29 October (Thursday) }} {{Hindu festival date info}} '''Karva Chauth''' or '''Karwa Chauth''' or '''Karaka Chaturthi''' ({{Langx|sa|करकचतुर्थी|translit=Karakachaturthī}})<ref>{{Cite book |last=Books |first=Kausiki |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hj9KEAAAQBAJ&dq=karaka-chaturthi&pg=PT214 |title=Narada Purana Part 4: English Translation only without Slokas |date=24 October 2021 |publisher=Kausiki Books |pages=214 |language=en}}</ref> is a Hindu festival celebrated by Hindu women of Nepal, Northern India and Western India in October or November on the Bikram Sambat month of Kartika.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lochtefeld |first=James G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AbWazgEACAAJ |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M |date=2002 |publisher=Rosen |isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8 |pages=355 |language=en}}</ref> Like many Hindu festivals, Karva Chauth is based on a lunisolar variant of the Hindu Calendars. The festival falls on the fourth day of the waning phase of the moon (Krishna Paksha). thumb On Karva Chauth women observe a fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands.<ref name="ref25lojir">{{Citation | title=Let's Know Festivals of India | author=Kartar Singh Bhalla | publisher=Star Publications|year= 2005 | isbn=978-81-7650-165-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WORYY5Vl0ygC | quote=''... 'Karwa Chauth' is a ritual of fasting celebrated by married women seeking the longevity, ... married women in the northern, Central and some part of eastern India, especially Delhi, Gujrat, Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajashtan, Gujarat,Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, West Bihar... eat a little food before sunrise and start the fast ... After the moon rises ... finally break their fast ...'' }}{{page needed|date=October 2019}}</ref><ref name="ref32laqul">{{Citation | title= women in England: their religious and cultural beliefs and social practices | author=S. K. Rait | publisher=Trentham Boks|year= 2005 | isbn=978-1-85856-353-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRfkTq1ykSIC | quote=... Karwa chauth, a fast kept to secure the long life of husbands, was popular among women ... }}</ref> The Karva Chauth fast is traditionally celebrated in Nepal and the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Fiji.<ref name="ref25lojir" /><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/16/AR2007101601513.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=A Hungry Heart | first=Anu | last=Kumar | date=21 October 2007}}</ref><ref name="ref58cebuc">{{Citation | title=Crafts of Himachal PradeshLiving traditions of India | author=Subhashini Aryan | publisher=Mapin | isbn=978-0-944142-46-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bkfrAAAAMAAJ | quote=... Karwa Chauth, when all married women universally fast a small pot, Karwa, is required ...| year=1993 }}</ref><ref name="ref64ruxax">{{Citation | title=Because it gives me peace of mind: ritual fasts in the religious lives of Hindu women (McGill studies in the history of religions) | author=Anne Mackenzie Pearson | publisher=SUNY Press | isbn=978-0-7914-3038-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=na-x4ahfXaQC | quote=... Karwa Cauth seems to be in western Uttar Pradesh ...| date=1996}}</ref> It is celebrated as Atla Tadde in Andhra Pradesh.
== Origins == ''Karva'' is another word for 'pot' (a small earthen pot of water) and ''chauth'' means 'fourth' in Sanskrit (a reference to the fact that the festival falls on the fourth day of the dark-fortnight, or ''Krishna paksha'', of the Nepali month of ''Kartika'').<ref name="ref31vefox">{{Citation | title=Rural Sociology | author=Rajendra Kumar Sharma | publisher=Atlantic Publishers|year= 2004 | isbn=978-81-7156-671-6 | url=https://earth.google.com | quote="... small earthen-ware pots called 'deep' being filled with oil and lighted through a wick ..."| orig-year=1997 }}</ref> In Sanskrit scriptures, the festival is referred to as ''Karaka Chaturthi'', ''karaka'' meaning an earthen water pitcher and ''chaturthi'' denoting the fourth day of the lunar Hindu month.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Handa|first1=O. C.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mChQAAAAMAAJ&q=Karak+Chaturthi|title=Pahāri Folk Art|last2=Hāṇḍā|first2=Omacanda|date=1975|publisher=D. B. Taraporevala Sons|language=en}}</ref>
Karva Chauth is mostly celebrated in Northern India. Military campaigns were often conducted by Rajput men in far off places whereby Rajput men would leave their wives and children at home to go off to the war. Their wives would often pray for their safe return. The festival also coincides with the wheat-sowing time (i.e., the beginning of the Rabi crop cycle). Big earthen pots in which wheat is stored are sometimes called ''karvas'', so the fast may have begun as a prayer for a good harvest in this predominantly wheat-eating Northwestern region.<ref name="ref33fabuf">{{Citation |title = History of Ancient India: From 7300 BC to 4250 BC|author = J.P. Mittal|publisher = Atlantic Publishers & Distributors|isbn = 978-81-269-0615-4|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=b7gOBW8oDFgC|quote = ... military campaigns and foreign travels were undertaken after the rainy season ... It is also the season for sowing wheat, which is kept in the Karwa (Round Vessel) ...|year = 2006}}</ref>
Another story about the origin of this festival relates to the bond of feminine friendship. With the custom of arranged marriage being prevalent, the newlywed is supposed to reside with her husband and in-laws. Being new to the family, the custom arose of befriending another woman as her friend (''kangan-saheli'') or sister (''dharam-behn'') for life. The friendship would be sanctified through a Hindu ritual during the marriage ceremony itself. The bride's friend would usually be of the same age (or slightly older), typically married into the same village (so that she would not go away) and not directly related to her in-laws (so there was no conflict of interest later). This emotional and psychological bond would be considered akin to a blood relationship. It is said that Karva Chauth festival evolved to include celebrating this special bond of friendship.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}
A few days before Karva Chauth, married women would buy new ''karvas'' (spherical clay pots)—7-9" in diameter and 2–3 litres capacity—and paint them on the outside with beautiful designs. Inside, they would put bangles and ribbons, home-made candy and sweets, make-up items, and small clothes. The women would then visit each other on the day of Karva Chauth and exchange these ''karvas''. {{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}
== Historical and cultural context == Scholars have noted that ''Karva Chauth'' developed as part of regional traditions in northwestern India, particularly among communities where seasonal cycles marriage customs and kinship networks played an important role.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pearson |first=Anne Mackenzie |title=Because It Gives Me Peace of Mind: Ritual Fasts in the Religious Lives of Hindu Women |publisher=State University of New York Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0791430385}}</ref> The observance of fasting by married women for the well-being of their husbands is part of a broader category of Hindu ''vrata'' (votive fasts) which are commonly associated with ideas of devotion self-discipline and auspiciousness.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McGee |first=Mary |title=The Oxford Handbook of Hinduism |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0199939763}}</ref>
The festival is particularly associated with the social structure of North India where marriage often involves women moving to their husband's household. In this context rituals such as ''Karva Chauth'' may also serve to reinforce social bonds among women including relationships with in-laws and female friends.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Uberoi |first=Patricia |title=Freedom and Destiny: Gender, Family, and Popular Culture in India |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0195678307}}</ref>
Anthropological studies have further interpreted the festival as reflecting both traditional gender roles and evolving cultural meanings. While historically tied to notions of marital devotion in contemporary urban settings the festival has increasingly been reinterpreted as a symbolic expression of mutual love and partnership between spouses.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Doniger |first=Wendy |title=On Hinduism |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0199360079}}</ref>
== Annual dates == {{More citations needed section|date=September 2018}}
''The following dates are based on the Hindu calendar.'' {| class="wikitable" |- |2020||''4 November''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2 November 2020|title=Karwa Chauth 2020 Puja India: Date, Fasting, Real Sixteen Adornments|url=https://news.jagatgururampalji.org/karwa-chauth-2020-puja-india/|access-date=2 November 2020|website=S A NEWS|language=en-US}}</ref> |- |2021||''24 October''<ref name=":21">{{Cite web|date=19 January 2021|title=When is Karwa Chauth 2021? Date, significance and all you need to know|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/when-is-karwa-chauth-2021-date-significance-and-all-you-need-to-know-1760669-2021-01-19|access-date=6 March 2021|website=India Today|language=en-US}}</ref> |- |2022 |13 October<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 October 2022 |first=Mahima |last=Sharma |title=Karwa Chauth 2022: Date, Time, Importance and Significance |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/religion/festivals/karwa-chauth-2022-date-time-importance-and-significance/articleshow/93494780.cms |access-date=11 October 2022 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> |- |2023 |1 November<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 October 2023|title=Karwa Chauth 2023:This time a very auspicious coincidence is taking place on Karwa Chauth, due to which every wish will be fulfilled|url=https://www.jagran.com/spiritual/puja-path-karwa-chauth-vrat-2023-date-importance-and-puja-vidhi-23552615.html|access-date=10 October 2023|website=Dainik jagran|language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Karva Chauth 2023: Date, moonrise time, muhurat, puja vidhi and everything |url=https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/karva-chauth-2023-date-moonrise-time-muhurat-puja-vidhi-and-everything-123102600208_1.html |access-date=22 July 2025 |work=www.business-standard.com}}</ref> |- |2024 |20 October<ref>{{cite news |title=Karwa Chauth 2024: When is Karwa Chauth? Date and Significance |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/religion/festivals/karwa-chauth-2024-when-is-karwa-chauth-know-correct-date-and-significance/articleshow/114248531.cms |access-date=22 July 2025 |work=The Times of India |date=18 October 2024}}</ref> |- |2025 |10 October<ref>{{cite news |title=Puja Muhurat and Chandrodaya time on Karwa Chauth |url=https://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/karwa-chauth/karwa-chauth-date-time.html |access-date=26 September 2025}}</ref> |} thumb|240px|A woman looks at the moon through the sieve
== Rituals == thumb|240px|The fasting women collectively sitting in a circle, while doing Karva Chauth puja, singing song while performing the feris (passing their thalis around in the circle) [[File:Karva2.jpg|thumb|240px|The fasting women after performing the Karva Chauth puja, while offering water towards sun (arka)]] thumb|240px|Married women pray for their husbands for their good health. thumb|On Karva Chauth, husband offers her first sip of water, after watching moon.
Women begin preparing for ''Karva Chauth'' a few days in advance, by buying adornments (shringar), jewellery, and puja (prayer) items, such as the ''Karva'' lamps, ''matthi'', Mehandi and the decorated puja ''thali'' (plate). Local bazaars take on a festive look as shopkeepers put their ''Karva Chauth'' related products on display.<ref name="webdunia2009kdyr">{{Citation |title=ਕਰਵਾ ਚੌਥ – ਫਿਲਮੀ ਨਾਮਾਂ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਚੂੜੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਕ੍ਰੇਜ (Karwa Chauth – The craze for bangles named after movies) |date=6 October 2009 |newspaper=Webdunia Punjabi |url=http://punjabi.webdunia.com/newsworld/news/features/0910/06/1091006026_1.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312003944/http://punjabi.webdunia.com/newsworld/news/features/0910/06/1091006026_1.htm |archive-date=12 March 2010 |url-status=dead |quote=''... ਕਰਵਾ ਚੌਥ ਦੇ ਆਉਂਦੇ ਹੀ ਬਜ਼ਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਚਹਿਲ-ਪਹਿਲ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸੇ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਸਿਲਸਿਲਾ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ ਸਾਜ-ਸ਼ਿੰਗਾਰ ਦਾ ਸਮਾਨ ਖਰੀਦਣ ਦਾ। ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਚੂੜੀਆਂ ਇਸਤਰੀਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਪਸੰਦੀਦਾ ਹੁੰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਆਪਣੇ ਸੂਟ ਜਾਂ ਸਾੜੀ ਨਾਲ ਮੈਚ ਕਰਦੀਆਂ ਚੂੜੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਬਜ਼ਾਰ 'ਚ ਪਤਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਿੰਨੇ ਗੇੜੇ ਮਾਰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ। (The coming of Karwa Chauth gets the bazaars humming with activity. And so begins the process of buying cosmetics and ornaments. Of all things, bangles are the perennial favorites with women. They do endless circuits of the bazaar looking for the perfect color match with their saris and shalwar suits) ...''}}</ref> On the day of the fast, women from Punjab region awake to eat and drink just before sunrise. In Uttar Pradesh, celebrants eat ''soot feni'' with milk in sugar on the eve of the festival. It is said that this helps them go without water the next day. In Punjab, ''sargi'' (ਸਰਗੀ) is an important part of this pre-dawn meal and always includes ''fenia''. It is traditional for the ''sargi'' to be sent or given to the fasting woman by her mother-in-law. If she lives with her mother-in-law, the pre-dawn meal is prepared by the mother-in-law. On Karva Chauth occasion, fasting women choose to wear Karva Chauth special dresses<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.popxo.com/2016/10/karva-chauth-outfit-ideas/|title=15 Stunning Outfits For Your *First* Karwa Chauth!|date=2018|access-date=23 October 2018|language=en-GB}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> like a traditional saari or lehenga to look their best. In some regions, women wear traditional dresses of their states.
The fast begins at dawn. Fasting women do not eat or drink during the day.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2 November 2020|title=Karwa Chauth 2020: Date, time, significance of fast observed by women for long life of their husbands|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/karwa-chauth-2020-date-time-significance-of-fast-observed-by-women-for-long-life-of-their-husbands-8975761.html|access-date=2 November 2020|website=Firstpost}}</ref> Hindu wives perform various kind of rituals along with a ''vrata'' (fast) on Karva Chauth for their husband's long life.
In traditional observances of the fast, the fasting woman usually does no housework.<ref name="ref98mabub">{{Citation | title=Dance, Human Rights, and Social Justice: Dignity in Motion |author1=Naomi Jackson |author2=Toni Shapiro-Phim | publisher=Rowman & Littlefield | isbn=978-0-8108-6149-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nMwHUUreHCgC | quote=... several Indian feminists have talked about the ways in which Indian, specifically Hindu, women have found it empowering to hold onto religious practices ... the Karwachauth ... meant that she had a day off once a year and a new sari at the end of it ...|year=2008 }}</ref> Women apply Mehandi and other cosmetics to themselves and each other. The day passes in meeting friends and relatives. In some regions, it is customary to give and exchange painted clay pots filled with bangles, ribbons, home-made candy, cosmetics and small cloth items (e.g., handkerchiefs). Since ''Karva Chauth'' follows soon after the ''Kharif'' crop harvest in the rural areas, it is a good time for community festivities and gift exchanges. Parents often send gifts to their married daughters and their children. thumb|240px|Karva Chauth pujan In the evening, a community women-only ceremony is held. Participants dress in fine clothing and wear jewellery and mehandi, and (in some regions) dress in the complete finery of their wedding dresses.<ref name="ref38bequf">{{Citation | title=Indian and foreign review, Volume 23 | author=Publications Division | publisher=Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4FVDAAAAYAAJ | quote=... the typically North Indian festival of Karwa Chauth when wives fast for the longevity of their husbands. On this day a woman relives her wedding day. Dressed in her wedding clothes, with hands and feet ritually decorated with Mehndi ...| year=1985 }}</ref> The dresses (''Saris'' or ''Lehangas'') are frequently red, gold, pink, yellow or orange, which are considered auspicious colours.<ref name="ref94pomex">{{Citation | title=Hindu children in Britain |author1=Robert Jackson |author2=Eleanor M. Nesbitt | publisher=Trentham | isbn=978-0-948080-73-9 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=i87kAAAAMAAJ | quote=... this day, which falls about eleven days before the all-India festival of Divali, wives dress up in bridal colours (red and gold) ...|year=1993 }}</ref> The fasters sit in a circle with their puja thalis. Depending on region and community, a version of the story of ''Karva Chauth'' is narrated, with regular pauses. The storyteller is usually an older woman or a priest, if one is present.<ref name="ref15zezuv">{{Citation | title=Hindu Vrat Kathayen | author=A.H.W. Sameer | publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd.|year= 2003 | isbn=978-81-288-0375-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ksKbk6gCebYC | quote=... The women tell among themselves the story of Karwa Chauth on this day. Sometimes a Brahmin priest tells this story and gets a gift in return ... The married women receive costly gifts from their husbands, brothers and parents on this ...}}</ref> The ''Karva Chauth'' puja song is sung collectively. In some parts of Uttar Pradesh, in the pauses, the singers perform the ''feris'' (passing their thalis around in the circle). While in other parts, the women keep some rice etc. in their hands while listening to the story.
The first six describe some of the activities of fast and the seventh describes the lifting of those restrictions with the conclusion of the fast. The forbidden activities include weaving cloth (''kumbh chrakhra feri naa''), pleading with or attempting to please anyone (''ruthda maniyen naa''), and awakening anyone who is asleep (''suthra jagayeen naa''). For the first six ''feris'' they sing{{Not English inline}}
{{cquote|''...Veero kudiye Karvara, Sarv suhagan Karvara, Aye katti naya teri naa, Kumbh chrakhra feri naa, Aar pair payeen naa, Ruthda maniyen naa, Suthra jagayeen naa, Ve veero kuriye Karvara, Ve sarv suhagan Karvara...''}}
For the seventh ''feri'', they sing{{Not English inline}}
{{cquote|''...Veero kudiye Karvara, Sarv suhagan Karvara, Aye katti naya teri nee, Kumbh chrakhra feri bhee, Aar pair payeen bhee, Ruthda maniyen bhee, Suthra jagayeen bhee, Ve veero kuriye Karvara, Ve sarv suhagan Karvara...'' }}
In Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, participants exchange ''karvas'' seven times between themselves. In Rajasthan, before offering water seven times the fasting woman is asked "''Dhapi ki Ni Dhapi?''" (are you satiated?), to which she responds, "''Jal se Dhapi, Suhaag se na Dhapi''" (I am satiated by water, but not from [love of] my husband). An alternative ritual conducted by Uttar Pradeshis is prayer of "gaur mata" the earth. Specifically, celebrants will take a bit of soil, sprinkle water, and then place kumkum on it, treating it as an idol/manifestation of the fertile Mother Earth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Karwa Chauth|url=http://indianculture.gov.in/stories/karva-chauth|access-date=2 November 2020|website=INDIAN CULTURE|language=en}}</ref> In Rajasthan, stories are told by older women in the family, including narratives of Karva Chauth, Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesh. In earlier times, an idol of Gaur Mata was made using earth and cow dung, which has now been replaced with an idol of Parvati. In some communities, especially in and around Bangalore, a visual depiction of HG is used. Each fasting woman lights an earthen lamp in her ''thali'' while listening to the Karva story. Sindoor, incense sticks and rice are also kept in the ''thali''.
In Uttar Pradesh, a priest or an elderly woman of the family narrates the story of ''beejabeti'' or Veeravati. Celebrants make idols of Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesha with mud and decorate them with colourful and bright clothes and jewellery. While exchanging ''karvas'' seven times, they sing<ref name=":0" />{{Not English inline}}
{{cquote|''...Sadaa suhagan karve lo, Pati ki pyari karve lo, Saat bhaiyon ke behen karve lo, Vart karni karve lo, Saas ki pyaari karve lo...'' }} thumb|240px|Karva Chauth pujan thali Thereafter, the fasters offer ''baayna'' (a melange of goodies like halwa, puri, namkeen mathri, ''meethi mathri'', etc.) to the idols (''mansana'') and hand over to their mother-in-law or sister-in-law.
The ''fera'' ceremony concluded, the women await the rising of the moon. Once the moon is visible, depending on the region and community, it is customary for a fasting woman, to view the moon or its reflection in a vessel filled with water, through a sieve, or through the cloth of a dupatta. Then, the woman looks at her husband's face through the sieve. Water is offered (arka) to the moon (''Chandra'', the lunar deity) to secure its blessings. In some regions, the woman says a brief prayer asking for her husband's life. It is believed that at this stage, spiritually strengthened by her fast, the woman can successfully confront and defeat death (personified by Yama). In Rajasthan, the women say "Like the gold necklace and the pearl bracelet, just like the moon may my suhaag always shine brightly."
Her husband then takes the water from the ''thali'' and offers it to his wife; taking her first sip of water during the day, the fast is now broken and the woman can have a complete meal.<ref name="ref98mabub" /><ref name="ref15zezuv" /><ref name="ref72zuyax">{{Citation | title=The nation, the state, and Indian identity | author=Madhusree Dutta, Neera Adarkar, Majlis Organization (Bombay) | publisher=Popular Prakashan | isbn=978-81-85604-09-1 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=clVkXbbcrhIC | quote=''... originally was practised by women in Punjab and parts of UP, is gaining tremendous popularity ... We found women of all classes and regional communities ... all said they too were observing the Karwa Chauth Vrat for their husbands' longevity. All of them had dekha-dekhi (in imitation) followed a trend which made them feel special on this one day. Husbands paid them undivided attention and showered them with gifts. The women from the bastis go to beauty parlours to have their hair set and hands decorated with mehendi ... As an instrument of social control, rituals work insidiously. Deeply ingrained in the consciousness of Hindu women, reinforced by modern forms, we do not know which is the greater barrier to women's liberation: religion or the market ...''| year=1996 }}</ref>
== Popular cultural aspects and critiques == thumb|240px|The fasting women collectively sitting in a circle, while doing Karva Chauth puja. In modern North India and Northwestern India society, ''Karva Chauth'' is considered to be a romantic festival, symbolising the love between a husband and wife.<ref name="ref53jovax">{{Citation | title=Winning in the Indian Market: Understanding the Transformation of Consumer India | author=Rama Bijapurkar | publisher=John Wiley and Sons | isbn=978-0-470-82199-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1B4fhk9Wsj4C | quote="... Karwa Chauth is a romantic old north Indian ritual, where the wife fasts all day for the well‐being of her husband, then when the moon rises, she looks at the Moon and her husband's face and he feeds her the first morsel of food that ..."| year=2008 }}</ref> It has been celebrated in Hindi movies such as ''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'', where an unmarried woman signals her love for a man by keeping the fast for him and he reciprocates by secretly fasting as a gesture of empathy, as well as demonstrating his concern for her during the day and breaking her fast by feeding her at moonrise, and ''Baghban'', in which, over the telephone, a man persuades his fasting elderly wife to break her fast because they have been separated by their uncaring children.<ref name="ref65zogoy">{{Citation | title=Tradition, pluralism and identity |author1=Veena Das |author2=Dipankar Gupta |author3=Patricia Uberoi | publisher=Sage Publications| isbn=978-0-7619-9381-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_6nZAAAAMAAJ | quote=... breaking the Karwa Chauth fast with Raj. and she realises that this must be the boy that Simran had fallen in love with ...|date=1999 }}</ref><ref name="ref19zuvur">{{Citation | title=India today, Volume 30 | publisher=Thomson Living Media India Ltd. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rGhDAAAAYAAJ | quote=... rattling of empty steel thalis to ensure the famished wife at the other end eats her Karwa chauth meal as in Baghban ...| year=2005 }}</ref><ref name="ref78qemig">{{Citation | title=India today international | publisher=Living Media International Ltd. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0bgaAQAAIAAJ | quote=... courtship, misunderstanding, reconciliation, wedding, Karwa chauth, pregnancy ...| date= 2006 }}</ref> News coverage of celebrities sometimes highlights the keeping of the fast by an unmarried public figure because it indicates a strong and likely permanent romantic attachment.<ref name="bbc2008octj">{{Citation | title=کروا چوتھ (Bollywood Diary: Karwa Chauth) | date=27 October 2008 | author=Rehana Bastiwala | newspaper=BBC | url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/entertainment/story/2008/10/081027_bollywood_dairy_sen | quote=... امیشا نے بھی اپنے قریبی دوست کانو پوری کے لیے برت رکھا۔ دلچسپ بات تو یہ ہے کہ امیشا کا یہ برت کانو نے پانی پلا کر نہیں بلکہ شیمپئین پلا کر کھلوایا۔ انہوں نے امیشا کو ہیرے جڑی ایک گھڑی بھی تحفے میں دی (Amisha Patel also kept a fast for her close friend, Kanav Puri. In an interesting twist, Kanav helped Amisha break her fast not with water, but with a sip of champagne. He also gifted Amisha a diamond-studded watch) ...}}</ref> Similar to Valentine's Day, the lack of a romantic partner can acutely be felt by unattached women.<ref name="ref52zilih">{{Citation | title=Almost Single | author=Advaita Kala| publisher=Random House | isbn=978-0-553-38610-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQH17whDlWsC| date=2009}}</ref> The festival is used extensively in advertising campaigns in the region, for instance in a Chevrolet TV spot in which a man demonstrates his caring for his wife by buying a car with a sunroof so he can drive her around on ''Karva Chauth'' night until she spots the moon through it.<ref name="ref50vaday">{{Citation | title=Marketing Management | author=Rajan Saxena | publisher=Tata McGraw-Hill | isbn=978-0-07-059953-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c9869T3ZxDsC | quote=''... Taking the situation of a wife waiting for the moon to appear on Karwa Chauth night ... until she is able to sight the moon from the car's sunroof ... The marketer was able to successfully communicate a feature of the car by using "love and care" as emotions ...''| date= 2005 }}</ref> thumb|299x299px|Woman breaking the fast by looking at husband thumb|258x258px thumb|Karva Chauth Celebration in India Since ''Karva Chauth'' is celebrated primarily by women (men are entirely excluded from the festival's observances until moonrise, though they are expected to demonstrate attention and concern for their fasting wives) and because beauty rituals and dressing-up are a significant part of the day, the festival is seen as an event that bonds women together.<ref name="webdunia2009gqw">{{Citation | title=करवा चौथ का श्रृंगार (Beauty treatments for Karwa Chauth) | date=7 October 2009 | author=Naynika Mehra | newspaper=Webdunia Hindi | url=http://hindi.webdunia.com/miscellaneous/woman/articles/0910/07/1091007022_1.htm | quote=''... सुंदर और आकर्षक कपड़ों-गहनों के साथ ही श्रृंगार का भी उत्सवों पर एक अलग ही आनंद आ जाता है। उस पर भी यदि बात करवा चौथ जैसे त्योहार की हो तो बनने-सँवरने का उत्साह चरम पर पहुँच जाता है। हर महिला इस दिन कुछ अलग दिखना चाहती है। आइए हम देते हैं कुछ टिप्स इस करवा चौथ पर ताकि आप दिखें सबसे खास। (Beautiful and attractive jewelry and clothes, along with make-up, are so enjoyable on festivals. On top of that if it's a festival like Karwa Chauth, the zest to beautify oneself reaches its zenith. Any woman wants to look striking on this day. Come, let us share some tips, so you can look the most special of them all ...''}}</ref> In the present day, groups of unmarried women sometimes keep the fast out of a sense of friendship, though this practice is far from universal.<ref name="ibnlive2009hdb">{{Citation | title=कुंआरी लड़कियां भी रख रही हैं करवाचौथ व्रत (Unmarried women are also keeping the Karwa Chauth fast) | date=6 October 2009 | newspaper=IBN Live | url=http://khabar.ibnlive.in.com/news/20955/11 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713023148/http://khabar.ibnlive.in.com/news/20955/11 | url-status=dead | archive-date=13 July 2011 | quote=''... 'मुझे करवाचौथ का व्रत रखना बहुत पसंद है। मेरी सहेलियां भी व्रत रखती हैं इसलिए मैं भी व्रत रखती हूं ताकि मुझे ऐसा वर मिले जो मेरे साथ कदम से कदम मिलाकर चले।' ... धीरे-धीरे ये चलन बड़े शहरों में भी देखने को मिल रहा है। आखिर कौन नहीं चाहेगा कि उसे बेहद प्यार करने वाला जीवनसाथी मिले। ('I really like keeping the Karwa Chauth fast. My friends fast, so I do as well, so I get a partner who walks side by side with me through life' ... gradually this practice is becoming prevalent in larger cities. After all, who wouldn't want a life-partner who loves them intensely ...''}}</ref> This is especially true in the urban areas of North India and Northwestern India, where the fasting is interpreted as a prayer for a loving husband in the future.<ref name="ibnlive2009hdb" /> Another trend in the northern urban areas is the spreading of the festival's observance to few women originating in communities and regions (such as immigrants in Mumbai, Kumaon Garhwal) that have not traditionally celebrated ''Karva Chauth'' or even been aware of the festival's existence.<ref name="ref72zuyax" /> The same is true for Gujarat.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Karva-Chauth-comes-to-Gujarat/articleshow/3605993.cms | newspaper=The Times of India | title=Karva Chauth comes to Gujarat | first=Ankur | last=Jain | date=17 October 2008 | access-date=22 February 2020}}</ref> <small>''Karva Chauth 2018 Date 27 October''</small> <br /> In certain regions of Bengal, Northeast India, and Bhutan, notably during the Karva Chauth celebrations, a distinctive tradition is observed where teenage boys actively participate in the festivities and join married women in the fasting rituals. The practice is believed to symbolise a collective aspiration for the boys to find suitable life partners in the future. There is also a spiritual dimension to this tradition, as it is said to be an act of devotion to the deity Parvati, who is venerated for her role as a symbol of marital harmony and longevity.<ref name="ref64ruxax" />
== Traditional tales == There are legends associated with the ''Karva Chauth'' festival. In some tellings, the tales are interlinked, with one acting as a frame story for another.
=== Story of Queen Veeravati === A beautiful queen called Veeravati was the only sister of seven loving brothers. She spent her first ''Karva Chauth'' as a married woman at her parents' house. She began a strict fast after sunrise but, by evening, was desperately waiting for the moonrise as she suffered severe thirst and hunger. Her seven brothers couldn't bear to see their sister in such distress and created a mirror in a ''pipal tree'' that made it look as though the moon had risen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=करवा चौथ व्रत की कथा |url=https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/posts/karva-chauth-sacred-stories-behind-the-fasting-ritual?srsltid=AfmBOorGZ8CoEKRJepC6KOyo4eJBOf2zaxg3Z_lEFPGyG3JdazV3oOse |access-date=20 May 2023 |website=करवा चौथ व्रत की कथा}}</ref> The sister mistook it for the moon and broke her fast. The moment she took the first morsel of food, she sneezed. In her second morsel she found hair. After the third she learned the news of her husband, the king, was dead. Heartbroken, she wept through the night until her ''shakti'' compelled a goddess to appear and ask why she crying. When the queen explained her distress, the goddess revealed how she had been tricked by her brothers and instructed her to repeat the ''Karva Chauth'' fast with complete devotion. When Veeravati repeated the fast, Yama was forced to restore her husband to life.<ref name="ref94behoc">{{Citation | title=Fairs and Festivals of India |author1=S.P. Sharma |author2=Seema Gupta | publisher=Pustak Mahal | isbn=978-81-223-0951-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=54MSg3a63WgC | quote=''... The only sister of seven loving brothers, she was married to a king. On the occasion of the first Karwa Chauth after her marriage, she went to her parents' house. After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, Veeravati couldn't ...''|year=2006 }}</ref><ref name="ref85peqic">{{Citation | title=Dealing With Deities: The Ritual Vow in South Asia |author1=Selva J. Raj |author2=William P. Harman | publisher=SUNY Press | isbn=978-0-7914-6708-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ov2oltTLinkC | quote=... Krishna recounting to Draupadi a story that he had heard Shiva tell Parvati. The core of the tale involves a human woman, Virvati ...|date= 2006 }}</ref>
In a variant of this story, the brothers build a massive fire behind a mountain instead and trick their sister by convincing her that the glow is the moon. She breaks her fast and word arrives that her beloved husband has died. She immediately begins running to her husband's house, which is somewhat distant, and is intercepted by Shiva-Parvati. Parvati reveals the trickery to her, cuts her own little finger to give the wife a few drops of her holy blood, and instructs her to be careful in keeping the complete fast in the future. The wife sprinkles Parvati's blood on her dead husband and, coming back to life, they are reunited.<ref name="ref15zezuv" />
=== Legend of Mahabharata === The belief in this fast and its associated rituals is associated with a legend of the ''Mahabharata''. Draupadi, too, is said to have observed this fast. Once Arjuna went to the Nilgiris for penance and the rest of the Pandavas faced many problems in his absence. Draupadi, out of desperation, remembered Krishna and asked for help. Krishna reminded her that on an earlier occasion, when Parvati had sought Shiva's guidance under similar circumstances, she had been advised to observe the fast of Karva Chauth. In some tellings of this legend, Shiva tells Parvati the story of Veeravati to describe the ''Karva Chauth'' fast. Draupadi followed the instructions and observed the fast with all its rituals. Consequently, the Pandavas were able to overcome their problems.<ref name="ref85peqic" />
=== The legend of Karva === A woman named Karva was deeply devoted to her husband. Her intense love towards him gave her ''shakti'' (spiritual power). While bathing at a river, her husband was caught by a crocodile. Karva bound the crocodile with cotton yarn and asked Yama (the god of death) to send the crocodile to hell. Yama refused. Karva threatened to curse Yama and destroy him. Yama, afraid of being cursed by a ''pativrata'' (devoted) wife, sent the crocodile to hell and blessed Karva's husband with a long life. Karva and her husband enjoyed many years of wedded bliss. To this day, Karva Chauth is celebrated with great faith and belief.<ref name="ref98vopal">{{Citation | title=Veiled gurus: a Hindu mother's experiential involvement in religious knowledge transmission | author=Colleen Yim | publisher=University Press of America | isbn=978-0-7618-3775-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xteudBGBIuoC | quote=... Yamraj told Karwa that the crocodile still had to live few more years ... Karwa told him ... she would destroy him by putting a curse on him. Yamraj got scared ...| year=2008 }}</ref>
== Notes == {{notelist}}
== See also == * {{anl|Savitri Vrata}} * {{anl|Varalakshmi Vratam}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Hindu festivals}}
Category:Hindu festivals Category:October observances Category:Vrata Category:Marriage in India Category:November observances Category:Hindu festivals in India Category:Religious festivals in India Category:Women's festivals