Karwa Chauth is a famous Hindu festival celebrated by married women with a lot of grandeur in India. On this day, women observe a strict fast for the safety and longevity of their husbands. According to the Hindu calendar, Karwa Chauth is observed on the fourth day (Chaturthi Tithi) of the waning phase of the moon (Krishna paksha). The devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva, Maa Parvati and Lord Ganesha. Worshipping Maa Parvati with full devotion on this day is considered very auspicious since she is the epitome of ‘Akhand Saumbhagyavati’. Generally, all the women get dressed up in red clothes and break their fast only after seeing the moon and making offerings to it in the evening. Women receive expensive gifts such as bangles, sarees, necklaces, etc. from their husbands on this day. Karwa Chauth 2023 falls on Wednesday, November 1.

Karwa Chauth 2023 Date and Tithi Timing

Date: 1 November 2023, Wednesday
Karwa Chauth Puja Muhurat: 05:50 p.m to 07:05 p.m
Moonrise on Karwa Chauth Day: 08:44 p.m
Chaturthi Tithi Begins:11:00 p.m on October 31, 2023
Chaturthi Tithi Ends: 10:49 p.m on November 01, 2023

Significance of Observing Karwa Chauth

It’s a popular belief that, in ancient times, men generally stayed out of their houses for a long period of time, for months or years due to travel, work, trade or wars. Their wives couldn’t get in touch with them due to a lack of communication in the older times, so they used to perform special prayers, puja and fasting for their husband’s health and welfare. The concept of Karwa Chauth is derived from that idea. Karwa Chauth is also popularly known as ‘Karak Chaturthi’ in some states of India.

In Hindi, ‘Karva’ or ‘karak’ implies ‘a pot’ while ‘Chauth’ means ‘fourth day’. This signifies that water is offered to the full moon in earthen pots on the fourth day of Kartik month. The karwa also called ‘Argha’ is considered very auspicious and given away to an eligible woman in the family or to Brahmin as ‘Dan’ after the puja. Observing the Karwa Chauth Puja by wives ensures the longevity, well-being and prosperity of their husbands. Karwa Chauth is celebrated in the name of ‘Chhath Puja’ in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

Karwa Chauth 2023 Worship Method

First, married women apply Henna Mehendi on their hands on the eve of Karwa Chauth since it’s considered to be auspicious. It is believed that, the deeper the colour of Mehendi on the wife’s hand, the more caring and affectionate the husband is.
Then on the fasting day, women get up early in the morning, before sunrise to eat and drink properly. The food they intake is called ‘sargi’ which is mostly prepared by their mothers-in-law.
Then they keep fasting the entire day, from sunrise to moonrise. The fast is generally “nirjala” i.e. without the intake of water.
In the evening, the women get dressed up in red sarees or dresses and do shringar too. Wearing red on Karwa Chauth’s day is important since it symbolises purity and marriage.
The women of every community gather together in the evening and sit in circles with their thalis decorated with haldi, kumkum and other puja samagris.
The Karwa Chauth puja is conducted where prayers are offered to Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesh. The women then read the local Karwa Chauth Katha, recite bhajans and exchange their puja thalis in a circle till they get back their own.
After the Karwa Chauth puja, women wait for the rising of the moon. Once the moon is visible, fasting women view the moon or its reflection through a sieve and then view their husband’s faces with the same. They perform the aarti of their husbands and take their blessings.
Then the husbands offer water and sweets to their wives from the thali to break their fast and the couples pray to the moon for peace, longevity and happiness in their marital life.

Karwa Chauth 2023 Vrat Katha

Once there was a beautiful queen named Veervati who was the only sister of seven loving brothers. Post her marriage, when she observed her first Karwa Chauth fast, her brothers couldn’t bear their sister going through so much pain by staying without food for the entire day. When they asked her to break the fast, she refused to do so before Moonrise. All the seven brothers were very disturbed by her distress and hence deceived her to believe that the moon had risen to break her fast.

They did so with the help of the reflection of fire through a Pipal tree. Therefore, Veervati broke her fast and the moment she ate food, she received the news that her husband was dead. She rushed to see her husband and prayed hard to Maa Parvati and Lord Shiva. Both the deities appeared in front of her and suggested observing the Karwa Chauth Vrat. She observed the fast by adhering to its strict rules and brought her husband back to life.

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