In the ancient time, girls used to get married at a very early stage, and went to live with their in-laws in other villages. After marriage, if she faces any problem with her in-laws or her husband, she would have no one to talk to or seek support from. There used to be no telephones, buses and trains long ago. Her own parents and relatives would be quite far and unreachable. Thus the custom started that, at the time of marriage, when bride would reach her in-laws, she would befriend another woman there who would be her friend or sister for life. It would be like god-friends or god-sisters. Their friendship would be sanctified through a small Hindu ceremony right during the marriage.
(How cool is that? A friendship between women, sanctified ... )
Once the bride and this woman had become god-friends or god-sisters, they would remain so all their lives and recognize the relation as such. They would also treat each other like real sisters.
Later in life, if she faces any difficulty related to her husband or in-laws, she would be able to confidently talk or seek help from each other. Thus, Karwa Chauth was started to as a festival to celebrate this relationship between the once-brides and their god-friends (god-sisters). Along the way, and much later, Karwa Chauth became a ritual of fasting observed by married Hindu women seeking the longlife, well-being and prosperity of their husbands.
Married women keep a strict fast and do not take even a drop of water. It is the most important and difficult fast observed by married Hindu women. It begins before sunrise and ends only after offering prayers and worshiping the moon at night. No food or water can be taken after sunrise. The fast is broken once the moon is sighted and rituals of the day have been performed. At night when the moon appears, women break their fast after offering water to the moon.
I spent yesterday with two dear friends and we all got mehendi at a local crafts market. It was great fun and even MORE fun to then read the initial history of this festival and celebration. What better way to get "inked" for a celebration marking the importance of friendships than to have done it with those ladies!
(Can you see the peacock?)
Tradition says that the darker the color on your palm the more your husband loves you! And the darker the color on the back of your hand, the more your mother in law loves you!
Mimi, although the color on the back of my hand isn't nearly as dark as my palm, I won't take that tradition too seriously :)
Right about now (Delhi time) as the sun is setting, I imagine there are hordes of women ... all looking for the moon. Unfortunately, I can't venture out to snap photos or experience this because the littles and homework are calling my name. I hope for the sake of the ladies fasting, that the moon comes out soon!
