Karwa Chauth is very popular in North states of India. This pooja is mainly performed by married Hindu women, who seek the long life and welfare of their husbands. It falls on the fourth day of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight or the waning phase) of the lunar month in the month of Kartika. It is one day festival, marked by a strict fast wherein no food or water is consumed for the large part of the day.
List of Karwa Chauth Pooja Samagri:
Get your own Karwa Chauth Kit.
- 1 Pooja Thali for keeping all pooja stuff
- 1 or 2 Mitti Karua
- 1 Chalani
- 2 Mitti Diyas
- Agarbatti / Incense sticks
- Batti / Cotton wick
- Mehndi Cone
- Kumkum / Roli
- Akshat / Chawal
- Kalawa / Mouli
- Karwa Chouth Katha & poojan vidhi book
- Karwa Chouth Calendar
- Some sweet
Karwa Chauth Pooja Preparation & Vidhi
1 day before Karwa Chauth, married women start preparations. They apply mehndi in their hands and alta on their legs. This is also the day to prepare ‘sargi’. Sargi, also known as Sargahi, is the food that is consumed by fasting women on the day of Karva Chauth early in the morning before sunrise. According to customs, the who observes the fast must strictly follow it from sunrise to sunset, and until moon rise must not eat or drink. The observers of this vrat sometimes, do not even have a sip of water throughout the day.
On the day of Karwa Chauth, women wakes up early in the morning before sunrise and have their Sargi. Gets ready with all solah Shringar and adore themselves in all nice jewellery and make ups. Post that they spend their time in various activities like meeting friends and relatives, doing Pooja preparations etc. In the evening, there is a common forum of ladies that takes place either in gardens or temples or someone’s house where the pooja is organized in a traditional manner. During the occasion, the Pujari or a senior lady narrates the legendary story of Veeravati and her seven brothers. For the puja they require Karwa filled with water, Diya, Agarbatti, Kumkum, Akshat, Kalawa & sweet. All these items are placed in front of the worshiping place for offering. Post this Katha, they do Karua exchange ritual. In night, they await the moon rise. Once they see the moon through a ‘chalni’, malmal cloth, or sieve, they offer water to the Lord Moon. They end their fasts after the praying to the moon and seeking its blessings for the long life and welfare of their husbands, by drinking water from their spouse’s hand.
Karwa Chauth Story
A long long time ago, there lived a beautiful princess by the name of Veeravati. When she was of the marriageable age, Veeravati was married to a king. On the occasion of the first Karva Chauth after her marriage, she went to her parents’ house.
After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, the queen was too delicate and couldn’t stand the rigours of fasting. By evening, Veeravati was too weak, and fainted. The queen had seven brothers who loved her dearly. They couldn’t stand the plight of their sister and decided to end her fast by deceiving her. They made a fire at the nearby hill and asked their sister to see the glow. They assured her that it was the moonlight and since the moon had risen, she could break her fast.”
However, the moment the gullible queen ate her dinner, she received the news that her husband, the king, was dead. The queen was heartbroken and rushed to her husband’s palace. On the way, she met Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati. Parvati informed her that the king had died because the queen had broken her fast by watching a false moon. However, when the queen asked her for forgiveness, the goddess granted her the boon that the king would be revived but would be ill.
When the queen reached the palace, she found the king lying unconscious with hundreds of needles inserted in his body. Each day, the queen managed to remove one needle from the king’s body. Next year, on the day of Karva Chauth, only one needle remained embedded in the body of the unconscious king.
The queen observed a strict fast that day and when she went to the market to buy the karva for the pooja , her maid removed the remaining needle from the king’s body. The king regained consciousness, and mistook the maid for his queen. When the real queen returned to the palace, she was made to serve as a maid.
However, Veeravati was true to her faith and religiously observed the Karwa Chauth vrat. Once when the king was going to some other kingdom, he asked the real queen (now turned maid) if she wanted anything. The queen asked for a pair of identical dolls. The king obliged and the queen kept singing a song ” Roli ki Goli ho gayi… Goli ki Roli ho gayi ” (the queen has turned into a maid and the maid has turned into a queen).”
On being asked by the king as to why did she keep repeating that song, Veeravati narrated the entire story. The king repented and restored the queen to her royal status. It was only the queen’s devotion and her faith that won her husband’s affection and the blessings of Goddess Parvati.