Significance:
Karwa Chauth is a festival that provides an opportunity for
all married women to get close to their in-laws. All married women observe fast
that ensures the well-being, prosperity and longevity of their husbands. This
Hindu festival has a cultural and social significance and all Indians celebrate
this festival with great enthusiasm. Let's celebrate this festival with Chandrani Pearls today.
The Puja Process:
- The puja preparations start a day in advance. Married women buy the shringar or the traditional adornments and the other puja items like the karwa, matthi, heena etc.
- Early in the morning they prepare food and have it before sunrise. The morning passes by in other festive activities like decorating hand and feet with heena, decorating the puja thali and meeting friends and relatives.
- In the late afternoon women gather at a common place like temple or a garden or someones' place who has arranged the puja. An elderly lady or the pujarin narrates the legend of Karwa Chauth.
- The essentials of this gathering and listening of the Karwa Chauth story , a special mud pot, that is considered a symbol of lord Ganesha, a metal urn filled with water, flowers, idols of Ambika Gaur Mata, Goddess Parwati and some fruits, mathi and food grains. A part of this is offered to the deities and the storyteller.
- At this time the women wear heavy saris or chunries in red, pink or other bridal colors, and adorn themselves with all other symbols of a married woman like, nose pin, tika, bindi, bangles, earrings etc.
- Once the moon rises, the women see its reflection in a thali of water, or through a dupatta or a sieve. They offer water to the moon and seek blessings. They pray for the safety, prosperity and long life of their husbands. This marks the end of the day long fast.
