Karwa Chauth Vrat How to Keep Observe Karwa Chauth Fast / Vrat

Karwa  Chauth Fast procedure / guidelines / tips:

(People follow below mentioned rules in their families for karwa chauth vrat. These rules might vary a little from family to family. I am just sharing this karwa chauth vrat method for your knowledge and update.  If any variance or  doubt,  then please consult your family elders or family pandit /priest and always follow their precious experienced advice) : 

       1. The  karwa chauth vrat can also be kept by unmarried girls, if the engagement ceremony has been already held.
 2. Onion and garlic are strictly  prohibited through out the day even after breaking the vrat in the evening after moon sighting.
 3. Women dress up in their best attire.  Some of them also wear the dress they wore on  their D-day i.e. wedding day. Generally red, orange, golden or bright color clothes  or Sari is worn. You should avoid wearing white or black  clothes as these colors are not considered auspicious for this occasion. Usually Sari or Ghagra choli is worn.
4. women are not supposed to do any household work on this day.  But in nucleus families , this thing may not be possible now-a-days. They apply Heena or Mehndi and dress up in their best clothes and do full make up.

Sargi: (this is mostly done in the morning Taron ki Chhaon main)
1. Sarghi is given by the mother in law which includes mathri, coconut, fruits like banana, apple  and sweets or as per your wish. A dish made from pheni and milk is also part of sargi.
2. Money is also given by the mother in law one day in advance so that the daughter in law can purchase cosmetics or shringar item like bangles, bindi, mehendi, lipstick, hair band, chunri or clothes etc.  if the mother in law is not staying with you then generally she sends /transfers the money.
3. On the karwa chauth morning, before eating Sargi the daughter in law will touch 7 items which she has decided that she is going to offer/donate to the  panditani (religious lady or priestess) in the evening after doing karwa chauth group pooja. So just touch the 7 items and then you can eat sargi.  These 7 items usually are mehendi, fruits, badam/cashews (dry fruits), mathri, coconut and money.
4. While having Sargi, first eat the sweets or dish made from pheni and milk. it is to start the day with sweet or on a positive note.  After this you can eat coconut and then main course meal.  The coconut is usually broken by the husband.  Eat a lot of good foods as per “ Diet Tips for a Healthy Karwa Chauth” and drink a lot of water. This is because you are not supposed to drink water or eat food after the sun rises (once the stars have set) and till you do the moon pooja in the night.  The  moon is visible very late on this day.

5.  Before eating sargi, put bindi and take red color chunri on your head.  Head bath is taken one day before the karwa chauth vrat in evening and the head is kept clean .

6.  Daughter in law also offers clothes and dry fruits like badam or cashews to her in laws after the karwa chauth fast is over .  

Karwa Chauth group Pooja in Community :

1. Some people also worship lord  Shiva and  Parvati ma in the morning. But some people   only worship parvati maa in the form of gauri maa in the group pooja. This  is performed in the evening around 4-5 pm.
2.  Before the sunset, all ladies from the locality gather in one place for the group pooja. in their thali/plate they bring the items like sweets, mathri, fruits and sari and clothes.  These items are called as Baya.  Baya items are bought from the money the daughter in law has received from her mother or father. if they stay close by then they can send the baya in a basket. But normally daughter in law buys baya items from the money send by her parents.
3. Apart from baya item there are other things in the thali which includes one diya with mustard oil, sindhur, surma and all the 7 items which you have kept in the morning meant for priestess. Also bring one glass (lotta) of water (this is the same water which will be offered to moon in the night).  In the water rice grains and sugar is also added.  Also tie a mauli (red string) around the lotta.
4. all the ladies sit around the gauri mata image with their items .  The  Gauri mata worship is done.  All the ladies put surma, lipstick, sindhur to the gaura mata.  Its like doing shingar to gauri mata.
5. one elderly lady or panditani tells karwa chauth katha or story and 7 times the thali containing the baya is rotated. while rotating thali a song is also sung.

karwa chauth song:  for first six rotation or feri the song is “veero kudiye karwara, sarv suhagan karwara, aye katti naya teri naa, kumbh chrakhra feri naa, aar pair payeen naa, ruthda maniyen naa, suthra jagayeen naa, ve veero kuriye karwara, ve sarv suhagan karwara”

after every rotation, once the thali comes back, then it is first kissed and then kept it along with lotta containing water.

and for the 7th thali rotation the song is “veero kudiye karwara, sarv suhagan karwara, aye katti naya teri nee, kumbh chrakhra feri bhee, aar pair payeen bhee, ruthda maniyen bhee, suthra jagayeen bhee, ve veero kuriye karwara, ve sarv suhagan karwara”

6. The gauri maa pooja is to pray for the well being and long life of your husband.
7. You can offer the 7 items (which you have touched in the morning before eating sargi) to the panditani or religious lady in this pooja after hearing the karwa chauth katha.
8. In some families, after the group pooja is done then it is allowed to drink cup of tea or cold drink (but not both).   This could be the modern day alteration to make this fast little easier. Anyway, as per rules whatever drink you choose on your first karwa chauth the same drink you can have rest of your life while keeping karwa chauth vrat.
9.  Baya items which are worshipped ( mansana) with the help of panditani or priestess is later given to mother in law and father in law.

Few Activities to be avoided during karwa chauth vrat:
(These are actually mentioned in the song which is sung during first 6 rotation of thali.)
1. don’t weave or stitch any cloth.
2. don’t go to fields.
3. don’t wake up any person who is sleeping.
4. don’t try to please someone with whom you have or had a conflict.

The way  karwa chauth vrat /fast or fast is broken in our homes:

1. When the moon is visible (which is always late on this day) then we take a thali in which one diya made with atta or wheat flour, mustard oil, one cotton wick is lit and mathri is kept. Also the water which you have taken with you in the evening pooja of gauri ma is also taken.
2. Take the red color chunri on your head. remove your sleepers and keep one wooden stick or piece below your feet and in a sieve/chhanni…. place this lit diya and the woman see the moon indirectly via the sieve.
3. At our home, we repeat the below line 3-4 times while seeing the moon indirectly via sieve.
“ haath khari phair chari main suhagun arg den khari” (which means, my hands are spread, i am standing with a wooden stick below my feet and i am a married woman standing here to offer water to you”.
( translation: haath (hands), khari (standing or spread), phair (feets), chari (wooden stick or piece), suhagun (married lady), arg (water), den (to give), khari (standing).
4. after saying the above lines 3-4 times, throw the diya backwards… then see the moon directly and pour water downwards in the direction of moon… throw 5-6 mathri pieces also downwards in the direction of moon… empty the entire water from the glass/lotta… don’t drink this water at all.
5. Then see your husband through the sieve/chhanni. Many women also touch the feet of their husband at this stage. At this point you can also internally pray for your husband well being.
6. After this, to break the fast, husband will offer water and mathri to you.  In our home, we first take few pieces of Kaju katli and then  eat rice , Chapati , Shahi Paneer  and Dal Makhani etc . But onion and garlic can not be put in these dishes also.

 I pray and hope everyone has a fulfilled karwa chauth  and this karwa chauth adds more harmony, understanding and love into the marriage.  

Also see :    “Diet Tips for a Healthy Karwa Chauth"

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    3) Govt advisory to avoid Dengue      4) Home remedies for Viral fever

    5) Perfect Haldi Milk                     6) Fasting rules during Navratri