Karva Chauth and Social Significance
Karva Chauth is an annual one-day festival observed and celebrated by Hindu and Punjabi women in North India wherein married women fast from sunrise to onset of the moon. This is observed for the safety and longevity of their husbands. Karva is another word for diya (a small earthen oil-lamp) and chauth means 'fourth' in Hindi (a reference to the fact that the festival falls on the fourth day of the dark-fortnight, or krishna paksh, of the month of Kartik of Hindu calendar usually it falls in October month. This karva Chauth fast is of particular importance to all Hindu married women in India. It is believed that the festival ensures wealth, endurance and happiness of their husbands. Karwa Chauth generally falls on the full moon day of the month Jyeshtha. This is also known as 'Vata Purnima' This festival is celebrated in large gatherings in full swing in almost all the states of North India like : Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punj...