Karwa Chauth History: Fabled Stories
India is the land of vibrant and holy festivals. Every year, we are graced with many festivals that bring much joy to our hearts. One such Indian festival that is honoured with great enthusiasm and following the cultural norms is Karwa Chauth.
Karwa Chauth is a festival observed by married women particularly from North India, four days after Purnima (full moon) in the month of Kartika. This year, it is falling on 4th November 2020. From dawn to moonrise, wives, fiancees keep a waterless fast for the longevity of their husbands and fiances. During the fast, the women get dolled up, perform pooja, and after the moonrise, they break their fast with their husbands. In return for this gesture, the husband's shop for karwa chauth gift for wife, such as Personalised gifts, jewelry, combo gifts, cakes, flowers, plants, greeting cards, apparels are given by husbands as gifts.
The beauty of every Indian festival is that it is backed with a rich history and lineage, Karwa Chauth is no different. The Karwa Chauth history is varied, and every story associated with it narrates a beautiful tale of its origin. Let’s unravel the pages of the history of Karwa Chauth.
Story of Queen Veeravati
Queen Veeravati was a beautiful sister of seven brothers. Her brothers loved her deeply. She spent her first Karwa Chauth as a married woman at her parent’s house. She observed the waterless fast strictly and was waiting for the moonrise. Her brothers couldn’t see her plight as she was suffering from hunger and came up with a plan. They created a mirror in the pipal tree and made it look like the moon had risen so she could end her fast. She believed and took the first morsel of food, and as she did, she sneezed. In the second, she found hair, and in the third, she learned the news that her husband (king) was dead. Heartbroken on the news, she wept the entire night until the shakti compelled Goddess to ask why she was crying. Then, Goddess appeared, and Veeravati explained her distress, and then Goddess revealed her brothers had tricked her so she could end her fast. She was instructed to keep the Karwa Chauth fast again with full devotion. Seeing her devotion, Yamraj was compelled to restore her husband to life.
The Tale of Mahabharata
This Karwa Chauth history story dates back to the legendary tale of Mahabharata. Draupadi is believed to have observed this fast as well. When Arjuna went to the Nilgiris for penance, the rest of the Pandavas were facing many problems. Draupadi remembered Lord Krishna and asked for help. Lord Krishna narrated the story of Goddess Paravati, wherein she kept the Karwa Chauth fast in a similar situation. On Krishna’s advice, Draupadi observed the fast religiously, and consequently, Pandavas were able to overcome their problems.
The Karwa Story
There was a name Karwa. She was deeply devoted to her husband. Her love and dedication to her husband gave her spiritual powers. One day while bathing in the river, his husband was caught by a crocodile. To save his husband, Karwa tied the crocodile with cotton yarn and asked Yama to send him to hell. When Yama refused, Karwa threatened to destroy him. Yama, terrified of her curse, agreed to send the crocodile to hell and blessed his husband with a long life. After that, Karwa and her husband spent many years of wedded bliss together. To this day, Karwa Chauth is memorialized with belief and honesty.
These Karwa Chauth stories make us believe in the power of a married woman’s love and faith. Therefore, since ancient times devoted women have been observing Karwa Chauth fast for the long life of their love. Happy Karwa Chauth!
