One of the popular Indian celebrations is Karwa Chauth. It is one of the religious celebrations that Hindu women observe in various parts of the country. Married women observe a fast from dawn to moonrise in order to pray for their husband’s well-being and long life.
For all married women, this is a special occasion. Given that all married women, regardless of age, enjoy dressing up, it represents elegance. The Karwa Chauth celebration includes bindi, mehndi, glass bangles, and sindur. Despite the rigorous customs involved with the occasion, during which women observe fast from early in the morning till moonrise, every married Hindu woman celebrates this day with total sincerity and commitment.
With the rapidly changing trends and technology- everything is evolving around us. Be it fashion, education, flooding or dining, festivities, and most importantly the method of celebrating festivals.
Karwa Chauth, one of the most auspicious events of a married woman’s life, is also influenced by modern time. There is a vast disparity between the way our grandmothers and mothers used to celebrate this occasion, to what we see young women or newly wed brides do on Karwa Chauth.
Let’s see what all has changed over these 20 years with respect to one of the most celebrated annual occasions by the women of India.
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Trend of Karwa Chauth Gifts
The prevalence of Karwa Chauth gifts has come into fashion nowadays. Husbands, boyfriends, or fiancés love to surprise their wives or girlfriends with gifts. With the changing trends, Karwa Chauth gifts have gained popularity. Obviously, when your wife or girlfriend fasts for your long life and well being, don’t you think she has the right to feel pampered and loved.
20 years ago, there was no concept of Karwa Chauth gift for wife on this occasion. Men were treated as head of the family and doing something for them was only or keeping a Karwa Chauth for them, was nothing but the responsibility of a good woman.
The Urban Effect
20 years ago women used to gather at one place in the evening with their pooja thalis and water along with their husbands waiting for the moon. It was a kind of community celebration. Women from the family, locality and even friends came together to celebrate Karwa Chauth which was more than just an annual celebration, it signified cooperation, love and compassion too.
Nowadays with settlements skyrocketing in urban developments, grand Karwa Chauth celebrations have become a rare sight. We only get to witness individual balconies, terraces with 2 individuals witnessing this epitome of love, sacrifice and fasting from the woman to her man. All one can conclude is that the festivity of love and bonding has lost its sheen.
Changes In The Sargi Tradition
20 years ago women used to wake up at 4:00 in the morning and used to have sargi (something to eat and used to drink coconut water). Coconut water makes sure that you have strength to remain without food and water for the whole day.
Nowadays women are running pillar to post for their job, kids and family. They might end up drinking water or consuming nuts so that they can breathe till the end of the day without collapsing. The Sargi components have changed too. One can easily customize a Karwa Chauth Sargi in accordance to their daughter-in laws’ taste and preference. Coconut water, which is a great hydrant has been substituted with cold drinks and cold coffee or iced tea. Couples go out for dinner too post completing the Karwa Chauth puja.
Pampering Oneself On Karwa Chauth
20 years ago women used to have the mehndi on their hands before the Karwa Chauth vrat and on Karwa Chauth they had to do the usual chores of sending kids to school, preparing breakfast and cleaning the house (all household chores ). This is still prevalent but somehow do try to take out sometime for themselves.
Nowadays, women spend their maximum time pampering themselves. Slowly gearing up for the evening to look like a diva. They start prepping up by going to the salon to get ready, they apply mehndi, they check all their matching ornaments with their attire, etc.
The Bollywood Effect
With the grand celebration of Karwa Chauth in KJo’s movies and Rajshri Production- Bollywood has beautifully influenced Karwa Chauth. As previously during our grandmother’s and mother’s time women used to wear simple red clothes or their wedding attire or shadi ka joda.
Nowadays with the Bollywood’s portrayal of Karwa Chauth– women start collecting their matching stuff from bangles to maangtika, chunni to attire from the starting of the month. Families indulge in singing and dancing too. Moving their legs to groovy Bollywood and Punjabi songs.
