Thousands of women in Sanskardhani celebrated Karva Chauth with deep devotion and traditional fervour on Friday, completing a day-long nirjala fast before performing evening rituals on the banks of the Narmada, local ponds and even at homes. Dressed in festive saris and lehengas, the women applied mehndi, arranged decorated thalis and karvas (earthen pots) and gathered for the customary communal prayers and katha (narration).

 

As dusk fell, groups performed the puja, offered prayers for their husbands’ long life and prosperity and followed the concluding ritual of viewing the moon through a sieve (chalni) before breaking the fast, a practice widely observed in northern India that symbolises devotion and marital fidelity. Karva Chauth’s origins are traced to several legends, most notably the tale of Savitri and Satyavan and older rural customs linked to agrarian cycles and household prosperity. The festival also historically combined elements of military absence of husbands and prayers for a good harvest, evolving into a celebration of conjugal love and social bonding.

 

In the evening, women exchanged sargi and sweets, sang traditional songs and assisted each other in performing rituals, turning individual vows into a shared cultural experience. Local elders recited the vrat katha and young women accompanied the ceremonies with hymns and bhajans, reinforcing generational continuity.

 

Women say that the fast renews marital commitment while offering a public space for women’s expression and solidarity. In Sanskardhani the festival remains a solemn, heartfelt observance rooted in faith, family and tradition. The evening ended with husbands lifting the veils and aiding their wives to sip water, marking the fast’s gentle closure.