Karva Chauth Puja Process

~*~Karwa Chauth Puja Process~*~ The fast of Karwa Chauth is kept 9 days before Diwali. It falls on the fourth day of the Kartik month by the Hindu calendar (fourth day of the waning moon or the dark fortnight). The Ritual Karwa Chauth is considered one of the most important fasts observed by the married Hindu women. On this day the women pray for the welfare and long life of their husbands. The festival is followed mainly in the northern parts of the country. Married women eat food early in the morning, before sunrise. They are not supposed to eat or even drink water during the day. In the evening the ladies listen to the Karwa Chauth Katha (the legend). The fast is over after the moonrise. The Puja Process The pooja preparations start a day in advance. Married women buy the shringar or the traditional adornments and the other pooja 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 pooja 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 pooja. An elderly lady or the pujarin narrates the legend of Karwa Chouth. 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. Earlier an idol of Gaur Mata was made using earth and cowdung. Now just an idol of Goddess Parwati is kept. Every one lights an earthen lamp in their thalis while listening to the Karwa story. Sindoor, incense sticks and rice are also kept in the thali. 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 women like, nose pin, tika, bindi, chonp, 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. ~*~Karwa Chauth Items~*~ Karwa Chauth is a fast undertaken by married Hindu women who offer prayers seeking the welfare, prosperity, well-being, and longevity of their husbands. This festival requires a through planning before the actual date and the following list of items can prove to be handful, especially for women who are doing their first Karva Chauth vrat. Food Items Sargi: which includes pheni (a sweet made of milk and semolina), a dish made of some cereal like parantha , sweets and fruits Ten matthis with ten puas (a sweet made of jaggery) Halwa Sringar or Beauty Essential Items Mehndi (Henna) on palms and feet. Colourful glass bangles. Makeup items like Bindi, sindoor, lipstick, rouge, kajal, eye-liner, mascara etc. Jewelry - Mangalsutra, maangtika, rings, bangles, necklace, earrings, payal, toe-rings, nosepin etc. Cloth Items Baya (gifts for the mother-in-law - ideally, a sari) A set of new clothes Puja Items Platform for the puja Cowdung to make the image of the goddess Tika Nath Sindur A strand of red thread Karva (vessel containing water) A plate Cash Other Puja items Aap par katam sari chahat hogi Phir Na kisi par ye innayat hogi Kuch is tarah se yaad karenge hum aapko Na aapko shiqwa na zamane ko shikayat hogi