Karwa Chuth Indian Celebration

This traditional Indian holiday is a yearly celebration that honors husbands and god-sisters of Indian women.

The celebration has changed over the years, but I love the original meaning behind the holiday.  Karwa Chuth orginally celebrated the relationship between women bonded during a traditional male and female marriage ceremony.  Let me explain...

Many years ago before telephones, cars, and trains, when Indian women married, they went to live with their new husband and their in-laws.  This often meant leaving their friends and family far behind, leaving the girl without a confidant to talk to and help work out issues with her new family.  To ease this transition, during the marriage ceremony another bond was sanctified between the bride and another women who would become the bride's life long god-sister or god-friend.

The ceremony during the wedding bonds the women as sisters and best friends, giving the new bride a means to have someone close to confide her worries and hopes in privacy and confidence.  Karwa Chuth originally was a celebration of this relationship between women and the marriage that brought them together.  They would exchange gifts of food, glass bangles, henna, and bindi body stickers, and enjoy each other's company.  They would celbrate the marraige of the husband and wife as what brought the women together as god-sisters.

The bride's in-laws would also give her gifts (glass bangles being a must) on this day to celebrate the good fortune of having a kind and loving daughter-in-law, and to show how much they love her.

As the necessity of god-sisters has waned, the Karwa Chuth celebration has gravitated more towards celebrating the well-being, prosperity, and longevity of a woman's husband.  A day long fast, from sun up to sun down, and prayer accompany the tradition of gifts. 

The fast comes from the Story of Queen Veeravati who both accidentally cursed and revived her husband with the help of Goddess Parvati.

Karwa Chuth 2010 is October 26, so celebrate the special women in your life!

For much more information on the Karwa Chuth celebration visit the official website.

Be sure to get your bangles, bindi and henna today from the website, www.ShopBeachcombers.com.

Celebrate!
Jody