Indian women, fasting for the welfare of their husbands

New Delhi, October 10, 2006. - The Hindu married today in India celebrate the festival "Karwa chauth" a day of fasting prescriptive which seek to ensure, through their devotion, long life and prosperity for their husbands.
Throughout the day, women just can not eat or drink, but also forbidden to swallow, to show that they are willing to accept sacrifices for their spouse.
"There is no problem to resist, we made ​​it through the love and power of God. In addition, women who fast replacing hunger by going to the salon and wearing their best bracelets and jewelry, "says Gagandeep Kaur Efe.
The Hindu festival based on the belief that activities such as fasting or prayer serve to protect third parties, in this case the Indian husbands, so maybe some will fast with pleasure.
Before dawn, the women get up and eat sweets and traditional foods, according to a strict vegetarian diet, in addition to drinking much liquid as possible, as a Muslim during Ramadan, which is also celebrated these days.
Taking advantage of the "Karwa chauth" Indian wives engaged in shopping and draw hands with "henna" or "mehndi" (in Spanish, henna), an orange substance used to tattoo the most superficial parts of the skin with temporary.
It is taking time as they can to not think about eating, hence, for example, markets are brimming with jewels on days like today.
Gagandeep Kaur mind that, just before sunset the sun, women who fast "sit in a circle to hear the reading of the story that relates the festival, from the lips of a Brahmin priestess."
The legend of "Karwa chauth" tells the story of Queen Veeravati, which induces a brother to eat in a day of fasting by deception, causing the death of her husband, the king.
Distraught, the queen is to the gods Shiva and Parvati and asks them to revive her husband, through which they grant you a promise to keep the fast of 'Karwa chauth "with strict conditions.
After hearing the story, Gagandeep Kaur women go home and dress in their finest jewelry and more colorful sari to await the arrival of her husband and watch beside him, covered by a net to prevent see their faces, the output of the moon.
Once this happens, women should look alternately at the sky and her husband as a symbol of devotion and desire for wealth, good health and longevity, along that husbands are fed and watered their wives with their own hands.
The ceremony ends when they touch the feet of their husbands to show their love.
The "Karwa chauth", especially popular in northern India, is celebrated in the period in which they occur most festivals in this country, when the weather starts to be more bearable.
As for the Christian Christmas, Indians take advantage of the holidays to visit relatives, exchange gifts and eat sweets.
Actually, the "Karwa chauth" becomes the prelude to the most emblematic party of India, the "Diwali", which commemorates the return of Lord Rama after his victory over the devil Ravana and the country full of lights.

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