Today was my first Karva Chauth and also my first fast! Karva Chauth is an annual Hindu festival observed by married women. The women fast from sunrise until moon rise on the fourth day after the full moon in the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar (usually October/November) to ensure the long life, well-being and prosperity of their husbands (health insurance policy?).
She gets up before sunrise and eats her ‘sargi‘ which is traditionally given to her by her mother-in-laws (nuts, fruit etc.) before starting the day without food or liquids (bollywood fans, this was explained in that emotional movie, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham- oh so emosh).
In the evening, the women apply mehendi (henna) and wear beautiful sarees/dresses and jewellery. Newlyweds dress in their bridal outfits for their first Karva Chauth! When moon appears, women take a look at the moon through a sieve and worship the moon. They then look at their husbands through the same sieve and she prays for his long life. Her husband then brings a plate and offers her sweet to break the fast, followed by feast.
Unfortunately, I did not get up before sunrise so wasn’t able to prepare myself for my fast. Luckily… I still survived. I was offered pizza and refused. My stomach did make a couple of weird sounds and I became close to hallucinating a couple of times, but when I got home from work I put on my pink dress that I wore for our temple wedding.
I am really proud of myself for being able to complete this fast without cheating. I get so moody and short tempered without food. I have TRIED to fast before (fad diets etc.) and always given up way before lunch time, this time though my fast had a purpose- my husband. My husband was unable to be with me so we stayed up on Skype until I could see the moon. The internet told me that moonrise would be at 8.16pm but it wasn’t until 9.30pm until I found it.
The moon was hiding behind a couple of houses so I had to put Skype on my mobile phone so I could walk across the road with my husband in hand to get a glimpse of the moon. I wonder what people were thinking, a woman in Indian dress running around, mobile phone in hand, looking up at the sky?
Then I ate a lot of chocolate!
I hope all the ladies who fasted for Karva Chauth enjoyed their day and their feast!!
Happy Karva Chauth!
English Wife, Indian Life 
It’s just wonderful to read your posts… Such a lovely tradition and you look just plain beautiful!
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So many Indian girls have abandoned this tradition so it is really quite impressive that you kept it. Moon should be up in another couple of hours and then I shall dig into puri and cholay 🙂
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Hello…. Di…. u r so cute nd beautiful also…… hey. I m sonal….. R u on Facebook…..
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Belated very Happy Karva Chauth, I am so proud of you that you had fast on that day. May God bless you and your marriage always. Keep smiling and happy always. 🙂
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Hoping you two lovebirds can celebrate together next year! Happy Karva Chauth to the newly married couple 🙂
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Eating feeds the fire of digestion, and fasting feeds the fire of love; both are wonderful when done with care and reverence. It’s great that you were able to complete a fast and especially on such an important occasion! Happy Karva Chauth (a bit late). 🙂
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I think it is really cool that you are getting into your spouses traditions. My family have forgotten our own, but my husband’s side of the family love theirs!
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Maharashtrian women do not celebrate such festivals! also during fast we eat double .in Marathi it is Said Ekadashi Ani Duppat (double) khashi (eat) You should start behaving like one and actually over eating double during all this fasting days
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Hi Ajit,
My mother-in-law doesn’t fast but I wanted to do this fast for my husband. I wouldn’t want to overindulge on fasting days, I would consider it offensive for me to do so.
I hope you are well 🙂
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Pardon me for my bad Grammer
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[…] I have missed out on so please excuse me if I overdress and wear excessive mehendi during Karva Chauth, Diwali and other […]
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Stacy absolutely loves Karva Chauth. I am totally embarrassed to say this, I would not be able to survive a day long fast for her, but she has totally bought into this ritual and insists on going thru with it every year.
The problem is, for some odd reason, for the last couple of years on Karva Chauth, the moon rise in the southern US has been very late and it breaks my heart to see her wait patiently for it. She wakes up quite early on this day and does her meditation and Shiva Linga Worship before sunrise, so at times it is 16 hours or more without food or water for her.
Her affinity for Hinduism and its rituals is at a level, that I can’t even come close to matching. And don’t get me started on her affinity for Lord Shiva and Parvati. She really makes me feel inadequate at times 🙂
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Awww she really does sound like a sweetheart!! Beautiful
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♥ ♥ ♥ Yess! How beautiful, and what an amazing festival and tradition. I’ll always say, you guys are the cutest couple. I love reading your stories and experiences. Such strong love and passion between you two. ♥
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Thank you, Crystal!!! ❤
I am excited to hear about your first karva chauth experience later this year 😀 ❤ xxx
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[…] Well, tomorrow there is a Maharashtrian festival celebrating marriage, it’s a little like Karva Chauth and as part of the celebrations, I’ve got my bridal mehendi, hooray. My grandparent in-law […]
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[…] health and wellbeing, only once the moon shows her milky (yum, milk) face can the fast be broken. I did this fast for the first time last year, when I was still living in the UK. But now, I have all of these imported temptations, so wish me […]
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