Jamshedpur : Women in Jamshedpur on Wednesday observed fast for the long life of their better half while unmarried women fasted for their fianc�s.
Married women in the city had a tough time on Saturday evening as the moon kept them waiting on the occasion of Karva Chauth. While they fasted the whole day for their husbands, unmarried women fasted for their fianc�s.
Though it is important for married women to observe Karva Chauth, the festival is very important in those households where a newly wed daughter-in-law has arrived.
While at some places, women followed the traditional methods of fasting with kathas and rituals, at other residential societies dance programmes along with the traditional dhol-wala was organised.
A resident of Sakchi, Renu Chawla said, �In order to celebrate the day and forget our hunger for food, we organise interesting programmes where we sing and dance. Once we end our fast in the evening after seeing the moon and our husband through the sieve, there are a large number of food items which are relished.�
Delicacies and traditional items like rice kheer, mathri and other sweets from the market are available. Also, the main course consists of poori, dum aloo, green vegetables, dahi-wada and pulao.
Rekha Sharma, a lady who has followed Karva Chauth for the past 28 years said, �Karva means a small pot or a lota filled with water, which is placed in front of Lord Ganesh. On this day, we worship Lord Ganesh for the long life of our husband.
After observing fast for the whole day, we follow certain ritual in the evening before consuming food/water. The married women observing fast will see the moon through the sieve and then will see their husband through the sieve.�
Sangeeta Ahuja another house wife said that though she is educated and believes in scientific advancement, she still believes in God and performs all religious rites. She says the sages and saints of yesteryears who wrote the Vedas were never wrong.
Everything they had said or predicted had come true so I follow this ritual every year. I used to observe fast before marriage for getting a good husband and after marriage two years ago, I still observe the fast. I enjoy it and will continue to do so. This ritual is for the long life of husbands so I would love to do it for him.
Dipin Mehta a modern house-wife was observing her second Karva Chauth said that the feeling was awesome as usual. I was duly pampered by my better half. My husband had taken a leave and was with me throughout the day.
She added that she was not a person who can stay hungry for long, yet somehow the fasting went pretty smoothly for me.
After I finish all religious rites and break my fast, most probably we shall go out for dinner and have a nice good time.
