Oct 20, 2005

Karva Chauth

(Pic adopted from Karwachauth)

Today is Karva Chauth - a Northie festival similar to South India's "Varalakshmi Viratham". Married women fast the whole day for the well-being of the husband.... (Pullarikkuthu)

Husband-kaaga wife viratham irukkira madhiri why not the other way around? The answer, IMHO, lies in the male-dominated society's customs, inherited for generations. The husband feels 'special' when wife fasts for him.

Karva Chauth has been made famous through a lot of Hindi movies over the last 10 years, beginning DDLJ.

(Pic adopted from Idlebrain)

Even Selvaraghavan has shown the festival in '7/G Rainbow Colony'. (Cha.. adhey Azhudhu vadinjufying Sonia).

Karvachauth for dummies:
* The performer (I mean, wife, or simply 'she') can eat some snacks before the dawn.
* After sunrise, she is not supposed to eat or drink anything
* An hour or two before sunset, pooja begins and 'story-telling' etc. happens
* Once moon appears, she goes to a open area (e.g. terrace), sees the moon through the sieves and then her husband (sometimes, the reflection of the husband on a still water).
* Husband gives her water to drink, breaking the fast.
* A good happy dinner with sweets, etc.

Happy Karvachauth to whoever celebrated or is celebrating it today!!! :-)

14 comments:

mitr_bayarea said...

raju: interesting vishayam. Didn't know anything extra about this fast festival other than DDLJ scenes. Of course, similar to Kaaradayan Nombu and Varalakshmi Vratham. Tough to contradict these kind of socials in a male dominated society or when you are in India, but now the mind does think about the meaning of all this in an equal husband-wife relationship. Of course, praying for the welfare of the husband is good and likewise the husband should also pray for his wife's well being and its a mutual bond that lasts forever.

Me too said...

Our local Hindi programme showed all 'Karvachauth' songs and scenes last weekend!! 'Thaangale'! It irritats me to see the ultra-modern heroine turn traditional in a snap and perform all sorts of rituals in movies!

"Husband-kaaga wife viratham irukkira madhiri why not the other way around?"
That's so nice of you to even think on these lines!!

ada-paavi!!!! said...

anda padatha patthi pesinala enakku erichala irukkum, poi mayajaal la 150 ruba kuduthu parthen!! total waste of money.

this festival was also popularised by the chevy optra ad

Devilish Angel said...

Good post Raju. Why you dont like the film 7G vatsan ?

Gnana Kirukan said...

when I saw that first pic - I remembered sonia and was going to write that as a comment - but u have put that pic as well :)

Narayanan Venkitu said...

I wish all those you are celebrating Karvachauth...but do husbands have anything like this??where they fast??? How about a few days..!!
Why does the wife fast always.???

Ram C said...

I realiesd the value of that belief, only when Sonia started loving that Ravikrishna.. similar to certain beliefs..

Raju said...

Mitr, it is apparently a BIG festival for Punjabis.. Praying for one's spouse is good and I guess many do that.. but making a working woman fast all day until moon shows its mercy doesnt appeal to me somehow..
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Aps, appadiya? After one or two songs, it would have been intolerable.. especially the modern-looking heroines like Kareena doing it.. Very funny..
When i thought about this festival, it reminded me lines like "Kanavane kann kanda dheivam", "Manaalane mangaiyin bhagyam", "Kallaanalum kanavan", etc.. I do feel a need to change all that.

Raju said...

Vatsan, I too have mixed feelings about 7/G, but I felt it was an above-average movie. 'Ravikrishna madhiri karadikkellam figure maattumbodhu namakku innum onnum kidaikkalaiye'-nnu niraiya peru feel pannanga.. neengalum appadi panradhale padathai pidikkalaiya?
I too remember the Chevy Optra ad.. the visuals were good.
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Vanathi, thanks.
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Arjuna, cool...

Raju said...

Narayanan, reflecting my thoughs exactly, as I had mentioned in the post and the reply to Aps' comment.
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Ram, yeah.. this festival played an important role in 7/G, didnt it? mm...

Siddharth said...

Karva Chauth inda titlea pata odene yanake anda 7g scene dan nyabagam vandede..and surprise u have talked abt it and even put a pic!love that scene the way ravi krishna comes in front of sonia when she sees through that thing.btw i am a huge selva fan.actually i tht he and sonia made a great pair.sad they have split.

Raju said...

Sid, as I said to Ram's comment, that scene played a very imp. part in the movie, right? If you see Sonia's sogamana face in the foto that I have put, I wonder whether it was before or after she saw him.. :-)

importance of karwa chauth said...

fast of karwa chauth have very importance in hindu religion
http://www.bhaktstudio.com/2014/10/10-things-you-must-do-on-karwa-chauth.html

Anonymous said...

Can you say anyone what was the song placed in that movie