Karva Chauth Vrat and Ahoi Ashtami Vrat

Karva Chauth Vrat

Karva Chaiuth vrat is of significant importance in Punjab and its neighbouring states. The Karva Chauth vrat is observed by married women. Newly married brides celebrate this fast with great rejoice in their first year of marriage. Nowadays unmarried girls also keep this fast to pray for a good husband. Day before Karya Chauth — The girl’s mother sends a Bayaa {similar to Baayna) to her daughters house. Bayaa contains sari, sindoor, bangles, bindi, sweets and a token gift for the mother-in-law. The mother-in-law sends a sargi to the daughter-in-law's house. A sargi contains sari, sindoo_r, bangles, biridi, mehendi, red ribbon, coconut, a gift and seviyan which is eaten in the morning of Karva Chauth. Women observing the Chauth vrat wash their hair and apply mehendi on this day. On the day of Karva Chauth -— Women wake-up before sunrise about 5 am, eat food from sargi (sent by mother-in-law) and drink water. They dress up in their fineries. The menu is as per preference of each house. One has to eat seviyan normally with milk as shagun.

The puja is performed before sunset. The women sit in a circle and place puja thalis in front of them. The thali has 2 deepak, meethi mathi and some almonds, money or a gift which the daughter-in-law gives to her mother-in-law. A glass of water is also placed in front of the thali, Gowra Maa puja is performed. The puja begins with the story of Karva Chauth. All the women sit in a circle and rotate their puja thalis covered with a nice cloth by passing them to the person sitting next to them around Gowra Maa seven times called Batana. After each rotation the thali is touched to the forehead and placed gently on the glass and then put down.

Women sing this song during the ceremony:

“Veero Kudiye Karwada, Sarv Suhagan Karwada, A Katti Na Ateri Naa, Kumbh Chrakhra Feri Naa, Gwand Pair payeen Naa, Sui Che Dhaga Payeen Naa Ruthda maniyen Naa, Suthra lagayeen Naa, Bhain Pyari Veeran, Chan Chade Te Pani Peena Ve Veero Kuriye Karwara, Ve Sarv Suhagan Karwara”

After the puja, the women seek the blessings of their-mothers-in-law by touching their feet and offering almonds, saree and gift to them as a mark of respect.

Breaking- the fast : After sunset, with the sighting of the moon, the women go up to the terrace with their puja thalis, light deepak and through a sieve look at the moon while simultaneously offering arag from the glass. They offer water and sweet mathri 7 times to the moon after saying a short prayer for the husband.

"Sir Dhadi, Paer Kadi, Ark Dendi, Sarv Suhagan, Chaubare Khadi ...... "

This song is sung 5 times. A parikrama of moon is done each time after offeringi arag. For parikrama, one turns a full circle standing at one place. The fast is broken by first taking a piece of the mathri and a sip of water, which was offered to the moon.

After the puja, one touches the feet of the husband and elders in the family.

Karva Chauth Vrat In Punjab:

A long time ago, there lived a beautiful princess by the name of Veeravati. When she grew up, she was married to a king. On the occasion of the first Karva Chauth after her marriage, she went to her parents house to do the vrat.

After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, Veeravati was very delicate and could not stand the rigours of fasting. By evening, Veeravati felt very weak, and fainted. Veeravati had seven brothers who loved her dearly. They couldn’t stand the plight of their sister and decided to end her fast. They made a fire at the nearby hill and asked their sister to see the glow. They assured her that it was the moonlight and since the moon had risen, she could break her fast.

However, the moment the gullible queen Veeravati ate her dinner, she received the news that her husband, the king, was dead. She was heartbroken and rushed to her husband’s palace. On the way, she met Shivji and Parvati Mata. Parvati Mata told her that her husband the king had died because she had broken her fast by watching a false moon. However, when

Veeravati asked her for forgiveness, Parvati Mata granted her the boon that her husband, the king would come to life but would be still very ill. When the Veeravati reached the palace, she found the king lying unconscious with hundreds of needles inserted in his body. Each day she managed to remove one needle from the kihg’s body Next year, on the day of Karva Chauth, only one needle remained embedded in the body of the unconscious king.

The queen Veeravati observed a strict fast that day and when she went to the market to buy the karva for the puja, her maid removed the remaining needle from the king’s body. The king regained consciousness, and mistook the maid for his queen. When the real queen Veeravati returned to the palace, she was made to serve as a maid.

However, \/eeravati was true to her faith and religiously observed the Karva Chauth vrat. Once when the king was going to some other kingdom, he asked the real queen Veeravati (now turned maid) if she wanted anything. Veeravati asked for a pair of identical dolls. The king brought back the dolls for her.

The queen Veeravati always used to chant this song “Roli ki Goli ho gayi... Goli ki Roli ho gayi" (the queen has turned into a maid and the maid has turned into a queen). On being asked by the king as to why did she keep repeating that song, Veeravati narrated the entire story. The king repented and restored the queen Veeravati to her royal status. It was blessings of Goddess Parvati and the queen's devotion and Her faith that won back her husband’s affection. Karva Chauth Puja Wallapaper Ahoi Ashtami Puja Wallapaper संतान की उन्नति, प्रगति, सुख समृद्धि और पति की लम्बी आयु के लिए महिलाएं अहोई माता का व्रत करती हैं। यह व्रत हर साल कार्तिक मास के कृष्ण पक्ष की अष्टमी को पुत्रवती स्त्रियां करती हैं। अष्टमी को किया जाने वाला यह व्रत अहोई आठें अथवा अघहा अष्टमी के रूप में भी प्रसिद्ध है।   करवाचौथ के बाद दीपावली से एक सप्ताह पहले अहोई माता का व्रत होता है। कुछ परिवारों में यह व्रत सप्तमी को करने का भी विधान है जबकि कुछ लोग अष्टमी को ही अहोई माता का व्रत करते हैं परंतु इस बार सप्तमी व अष्टमी दोनों का व्रत एक ही दिन यानी 15 अक्तूबर को ही होगा ।   विधि अहोई माता का आशीर्वाद पाने के लिए पुत्रवती महिलाएं करवाचौथ की भांति ही प्रात: तड़के उठकर सरगी खाती हैं तथा सारा दिन किसी प्रकार का अन्न जल ग्रहण न करते हुए निर्जला व्रत करती हैं। सायंकाल को वे दीवार को खडिय़ा मिट्टी से पोतकर उस पर अष्ट कोष्ठक(आठ कोनों वाली) की अहोई माता का स्वरूप बनाकर उनमें लाल गेरू और पीले रंग की हल्दी से सुन्दर रंग भरती हैं। साथ ही स्याहू माता (सेई) के बच्चों के भी चित्र बनाकर सजाती हैं। तारा निकलने से पहले अहोई माता के सामने जल का पात्र भरकर उस पर स्वास्तिक बनाती हैं तथा उसके सामने सरसों के तेल का दीपक जलाकर अहोई माता की कथा करती हैं।   अहोई माता के सामने मिट्टी की हांडी यानी मटकी जैसा बर्तन रखकर उसमें खाने वाला सामान प्रसाद के रूप में भरकर रखा जाता है। इस दिन ब्राह्मणों को पेठा दान में देना अति उत्तम कर्म माना जाता है।   पूजन सामग्री अहोई माता के व्रत में  सरसों के तेल से बने पदार्थों का ही प्रयोग होता है। महिलाएं घरों में मट्ठियां, गुड़ से बना सीरा, पूड़े, गुलगुले, चावल,  साबुत उड़द की दाल, गन्ना और मूली के साथ ही मक्की अथवा गेहूं के दाने रखकर उस पर तेल का दीपक रखकर जलाती हैं तथा अहोई माता से परिवार की सुख-शांति, पति व पुत्रों की रक्षा एवं  उनकी लम्बी आयु की कामना से प्रार्थना करती हैं तथा तारा निकलने पर उसे अर्ध्य देकर व्रत का पारण करती हैं। अहोई माता के पूजन के पश्चात खाने वाला सामान घर के नौकरों आदि को भी प्रसाद रूप में अवश्य देना चाहिए। इस व्रत में बच्चों को प्रसाद रूप में तेल के बनाए गए सारे सामान के अजारण बनाकर दिए जाते हैं तथा घर के बुजुर्गों सास-ससुर को व्रत के पारण से पहले उनके चरण स्पर्श करके बया देकर सम्मानित करने की भी परम्परा है जिससे प्रसन्न होकर वे बहू को आशीर्वाद देते हैं।