Karwa (Karva) Chauth vrat 2019: Date, Vrat Puja time; Why women don't drink water before moon rise

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Karwa Chauth 2019 will be celebrated in India on October 17, Thursday. It is a one-day festival that is celebrated by Hindu women exactly four days (hence the word chauth from chautha din) after the full moon night in the Kartika month of Hindu calendar. Karwa (Karva) Chauth’s occurrence depends on the positions of the moon. On Karwa Chauth, women in India who are married do not eat or drink anything from sunrise to moonrise to pray for the longevity of their husband’s life. The fast is ended during the moonrise when the husbands make their wives drink water. Sometimes, women who are engaged but not married also keep this fast for their fiance.

Karwa Chauth Meaning and preparation

Karva Chauth is derived from the amalgamation of two Hindi words. Karwa which means a small earthen pot of water and Chauth means fourth, which the fourth day of the dark fortnight. Just before the fast, married women purchase new Karvas every year. They then gather under one roof and exchange these Karwas.

Karwa Chauth 2019 Puja Song

The women who fast sit in a circle with a Puja thali in their hands. The Karwa Chauth story is narrated according to their regions. In the pauses, Karwa Chauth puja song is sung collectively by the women while exchanging the thalis in circles.

For the first six feris, they sing:

Veero kudiye Karvara, Sarv suhagan Karvara, Aye katti naya teri naa, Kumbh chrakhra feri naa, Aar pair payeen naa, Ruthda maniyen naa, Suthra jagayeen naa, Ve veero kuriye Karvara, Ve sarv suhagan Karvara..

For seventh feri:

Veero kudiye Karvara, Sarv suhagan Karvara, Aye katti naya teri nee, Kumbh chrakhra feri bhee, Aar pair payeen bhee, Ruthda maniyen bhee, Suthra jagayeen bhee, Ve veero kuriye Karvara, Ve sarv suhagan Karvara.

In Uttar Pradesh, the women exchange Karwas seven times and sing: Sadaa suhagan karve lo, Pati ki pyari karve lo, Saat bhaiyon ke behen karve lo, Vart karni karve lo, Saas ki pyaari karve lo..

Karwa Chauth Story: The Story of Rani Veervati

The story goes like this - Once there was a woman named Veervati, who was the only sister of seven brothers. She spent her first Karwa Chauth at her parents’ house. She was waiting desperately for the moon to rise, seeing her hungry and thirsty, her seven brothers showed her a fake moon using a peepal tree and a mirror. She thought that the moon has risen and broke her fast. The moment she ate, her husband died. Angry at all this, she compelled Goddess Shakti to appear in front of her. The Goddess explained the naïve woman what her brothers did. She then asked Veervati to complete her fast with devotion, which she did. The Yamraj was forced to return her husband back. Hence, taking cues from this legend, married women observe water-less fast to pray for the long life of their husbands.