Happy Karwa Chauth 2024| GIFT Ideas

 Happy Karwa Chauth| Gift Ideas 

Let's look at the moon together tonight,
just like it shines in the sky,
may our love shine brightly similarly.

Happy Karwa Chauth

This is the first thought that comes to my mind or every woman's mind on this auspicious occasion of Karwa Chauth. This festival has been celebrated for ages by Hindu women in October or November, the Hindu lunar month of Kartika. 

Karwa Chauth Origin

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, homemade 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.

Karwa Chauth Rituals

I applied mehendi on my hands and purchased a few jewellery items, new saari and cosmetics that are essential for this puja( Sindoor, Lipstick, Kajal and Bangles). 

On the day of the fast, women need to get awake early to eat and drink just before sunrise. We try to eat soot feni with milk in sugar on the eve of the festival. It is said that this helps women go without water the next day. Here in Punjab, sargi (ਸਰਗੀ) is an important part of this pre-dawn meal and always includes fenia. This traditional sargi is given to me by my sweet mother-in-law.

On the Karva Chauth occasion, I choose to wear Karva Chauth special dresses like a traditional Saari and lehenga to look my best. In some regions, women wear traditional dresses of their states.

In the afternoon, I along with some other women in my neighbourhood go to the temple and hear the Karwa Chauth Katha from the Panditani ji. She narrates the whole story but before that, we need to sit in a round circle holding our Karwa Chauth thali and Karwa containing the gifts to be given to my mother-in-law from me and Karwa full of water. She ties a Mouli on each married woman sitting and asks us to hold some rice grains in our hands. Then she narrates the story in her melodious voice. After hearing the story, all of us put rice grains in our karwa and are ready to rotate our Karwa thalis.

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 asleep (suthra jagayeen naa). For the first six feris, we sing

...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, we sing

...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...

After hearing and rotating our thalis, we head back to our homes. Now it is time to take a small intake of any liquid(juice, milk, or tea) as per the permission of your elders. I always prefer drinking juice. This is only a the one-time intake and is not to be mistaken for water at any cost.

My wait started again for our loving Chanda Mama or Moon for others. The fast gets completed only by the onset of moon and looking from the Channi and diya, first the moon and then my dear husband. T This ritual is very close to my heart as it gives a glimpse of how much my husband and I love each other and this bond of understanding and mutual commitment prevails forever.

My husband makes me drink water and then we have our family dinner that comprises typical green gram dal and rice along with delicious sweets. But I have more things in store and that is some special gifts. I won't share my gifts list as it is bit personal but will definitely give few ideas.

Gift Ideas for Your Better Half

• Perfumes: Perfumes are the best solution to calm your better half or make a sensuous mood. You need to at least know what your partner likes or try something like soothing fragrances. 
  
  
  
• Candles: Candles of different colours and fragrances are best to prepare the room for memorizing candlelight dinners or sensuous nights. It also helps your partner to feel a bit comfortable from the hectic schedule of the day. 
  
• Jewellery: One of the special things any person can gift to her wife is jewellery may be it is gold, diamonds or artificial but it directly connects hearts. 
  

 

Conclusion

Karwa Chauth is a festival of love and the imminent emotional bond of a wife towards her husband. She fasts for the whole day praying for the long life of her husband. I enjoyed my day and hope every woman has acknowledged the love of their life and got a treasure of love from their family and better half. 

Do share your experience of Karwa Chauth with me?

This post is a part of "Feeling Festive Blog Hop" hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed. 

This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla 
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.

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