What’s so ‘happy” about Karva Chauth? What is Karva Chauth?
A day spent without a morsel of food or water, from sunrise to sunset.
A reason to get new clothes (and makeup!) and feel pampered by your significant other.
A tradition you’ve grown up with and enjoyed as a festival all your childhood.
A testament to the strength of a woman’s faith and power of thoughts.
A connection between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, and sisters and friends.
A celebration.
All this.
I’m a well educated independent woman and I still chose to keep the Karva Chauth fast. It is a fast traditionally kept by women in North India to pray for the long lives and good health of their husbands. Sounds quite sexist right? Perhaps if we shine the light of modern sensibilities on traditions, most (if not all) of them will come across as highly regressive towards women. There are, of course, enough and more examples of traditions that need to be done away with, like sati or dowry or a million other ways in which women are marginalised in the name of culture.
But for me, Karva Chauth has never fallen in this category.
As a kid, I always remember how beautiful my mum used to look when she would dress up for the evening pooja. I remember how we used to go and shop for her new makeup for the day (even if it was just a nail polish and some bangles) and hunt for a good mehendi-wala in preparation. I used to enjoy listening to the strangely amusing story of the princess who became a maid and then became a queen again. I remember running in and out of the house after sunset, trying to spot the moon so that mum could finally eat!
And then I was fascinated by how the festival was turned into a national phenomenon thanks to Bollywood! Even unmarried girls started keeping fasts (to find a good husband *insert dismissive eye roll*). The news networks start showing images of which all cities the moon has risen in, or which Bollywood celeb is celebrating her first Karva Chauth and how! Restaurants start running special offers for set dinners, parties and spas start coming up with offers and packages for the day. Everyone is in festival mode!
In the midst of all this, I do get a slight kick by testing the strength of my personal resolve and will power (no food or water all day!!) To some extent, I’m still fascinated with how difficult I had imagined Karva Chauth to be as a child, and how I am able to endure the fast now without as much trouble.
Over the past decade, I’ve forged great connections with friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues on what they do (or don’t do) to celebrate this day. My husband and I have made our own version of the festival. He fasts with me, and in the first year together we both literally put together a “Karva Chauth To Do List” with inputs from both our mothers, and some little tweaks to make it more practical. (It’s probably the least used, but most useful word doc on my computer).
So yes, I “celebrate” Karva Chauth, in the truest sense of the word. And I’ve always enjoyed the day for what it means to me and my family. Isn’t that what festivals are supposed to be all about?!
Happy Karva Chauth to you and your loved ones! May you always have excuses to celebrate together and grow your shared bond of love.
