Karwa chauth 2016: An auspiscious day for Indian married woman

Karwa Chauth's preparations start prior many days to the occasion. Married women buy a special dress, jewellery for the day of Karwa Chauth. Markets also indicate the festival a few days before the special day.

Sargi is an important tradition of Karwa chauth. Women are given sargi, a sweet dish fenia, by their mother-in-law. It is a pre-dawn meal and is given to them to sustain all day long fast.

Women have to fast all day. They usually meet their relatives, friends during the day. In some parts of the country, women also exchange gifts, like bangle, cosmetics, handkerchief put in karwas, with their married female friends. Women are usually dressed in red, orange, gold, pink colours, as these colours are considered auspiscious for the occasion.

In afternoon, a women only ceremony is performed in which women of a neighbourhood including their other friends sit in a circle and exchange pooja thalis. Depending on the region, a version of the Karwa chauth story is narrated by an old woman or a priest. Women also sing Karwa chauth pooja song during the feris or the rotation of pooja thali.

Women wait for the moon. And depending on the region, women offer prayers to the moon, with their husband nearby and see its reflection in a vessel filled with water, or through a cloth/ dupatta, or through a sieve. Water or arka is offered to moon. They then turn towards their husband and see them indirectly. Woman says prayer for a long and healthy life of her husband. Husband offers sip of water to the woman and also a bite of usually a sweet from the pooja thali. The woman then resumes her fast and now can take a proper meal. Have a happy Karwa chauth