Karwa Chouth @ Sobha Palladian, 18 Oct 2019 !!

I was not an eye witness to this event – the mehndi, the pious & beautiful puja ceremony , the moon sighting and the breaking of day long fast.

So what I missed in terms of capturing those live moments and close observations, I made it up in Googling, some imagination and a generous dose of MDH masala!!

MDH = Mahashian DI Hatti founded in 1919 (exactly 100 years back) in Sialkot, Punjab.

And these are some of the wonderful pictures that I got .. and this post covers

The Mehndi , The fast & Puja, The pious wives and their puja items, And Finally the MOON !!!

So here we go !!

At Palladian,  ladies waited in queue for their turn and sat patiently , motionless,

stretching their hands and palm, intently watching that dark green thin paste flowing out that small nozzle on to their palms and forearms and weaving a beautiful intricate and elaborate pattern. And they had to be patient for at least 20 minutes. And another 2 hour later for the color to set in and give their hands a beautiful tapestry of red and maroon designs!

While in the north (and everywhere nowadays) the mehndi is a very intricate affair – beautiful patterns laid out on dainty hands and arms and feet as well, the traditional south Indian marudani is a plain simple and no nonsense affair !!

And many times I have stopped by and watched in fascination at the young mehndi boys at work by the roadside. And sometimes envied them. What a wonderful profession. Holding young maiden’s hands and etching out delicate patterns on their fain palms.

Far more exciting than writing on a blank bond paper with a  ball-point pen!

And definitely better than typing out 16 point Helvetica fonts on a blank MS Word screen!!

On Karva Chauth, married women, observe fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands.

Historically, Karva Chauth was celebrated as a prayer for the long life of soldiers in the war, and by extension today refers to the long life of a married husband.

In Delhi/Gurgaon some of my colleagues used to join their wives in observing this day long fast. One said that they had this tradition right from their Grand dad’s days. So touching !

And my newly married Product Manager also admitted he kept the fast along with his wife. And as we all praised him for this wonderful gesture, he also commented, “I not only love my wife that much, but we had nothing to eat as well. We went to my parents home for dinner”.

A few days before Karva Chauth, ladies  would buy new karvas (clay pots), paint them on the outside with beautiful designs. Inside, they would put bangles and ribbons, mishti and sweets, make-up items, and small clothes. They would then visit each other on the day of Karva Chauth and exchange these ka rvas.

These are  occasions when women bond with each other and have a wonderful time in general, whilst also praying for their husbands’ long lives.

Some highlights of this ritual..

Sargi :  a day before newly-married women and brides-to-be receive the traditional sargi from their in-laws’ house, prepared by the mother-in-law. The sargi includes earthen pots that contain food to be eaten in the morning, before starting the fast. It will give them the strength they require for the rest of the day.

Baya :  The baya is a gift or a token of the mother-in-law’s appreciation for her daughter-in-law, who is fasting for her son. Baya  includes money, clothes, jewellery, cosmetics, sindoor and sweets. After receiving the baya, women dress up in bright clothes and apply mehendi on their hands and feet, which symbolise a married Indian woman, in our culture. 

The Puja and the narration of the story.

A few hours before the moon rise the traditional story of Karwa Chouth is narrated. Legend says that many many years ago, a young woman Veeravati broke her fast before spotting the moon as a result of which her husband died instantly.

Distraught the woman prayed to Maa Parvati beseeching her to bring her husband back to life. and she followed the religious cycle of seven Karwa Chouths after which her husband was restored back to life!

Breaking the fast

First, you view the moon through a sieve. Then  offer water  to the moon. Then look at your husband through the same sieve.  Say a prayer asking for his long life.

The husband breaks his wife’s fast by feeding her a morsel of food or by making her drink a sip of water.

And then the feast !!

Interestingly  Karadayan Nonbu, or SavitriNombu is a vow observed in Tamil Nadu on the last day in Maasi masam.  Married women worship Goddess Gauri or Parvathi or Shakti for marital bliss and better health of husband and children. Unmarried girls perform the vratam to get ideal person as their husband. You can clearly see the thick yellow holy thread they tie around their necks on this day.

And Finally a word about the moon !!

ON this day the moon is the biggest villain on an otherwise wonderful story so far. It plays truant  most times and there is always a heavy overcast sky that day. So evenings are particularly stressful.

Remember the newly wed Product Manager I talked about? That year it was particularly cloudy and his young wife insisted that she see the moon on her very first KC.  So he went on a vigil on the balcony. Every time the moon peeped out he would call her. And when she came running the moon would slip back behind the clouds. And this happened a few times. Frustrated ,and worried for his wife, he thought of something innovative.

He said he  propped up  a Britannia Marie biscuit on his bedroom window.  And shined a torch on it.  He then led his wife blindfolded in front and opened her eyes. When the surprise hit her and just when she  opened her mouth, he stuffed it with a huge laddoo !

Mission accomplished !  Shall we go for dinner, dear??

Making our own moon, why not?

The plight of women trying to sight the moon is common all over India. There is   a huge demand for a good well lit moon that day.

And an enormous market for an affordable holographic moon Projector.

And if anyone in  SP is enterprising enough to start building and mass producing one, I can write out a detailed specs. 

A good rugged box that can be run on 110V or 220 Volts or portable

battery powered one  depending on the size and the height of projection you want.

And we can add some great features too and some fancy dials and rotary & slide  switches!!

Features for adjusting size and how high up in the sky.

Vary its color & shade , from bleached white to Golden yellow.

Add some texture too. Some dark cloudy shapes and a small dark point to mark our Chandrayan 2.

By the way we can also have 28 preset rotary switch settings!!

Then we can also offer the same box for EID new moon. And for Maha Ganesha Chatgurthi and so on !

Any Stece Jobbs in the making ??

I can support you with my Steve Wozniak genius !!

Krish & Jayanthi