Here is a complete post with everything you need for karwa Chauth-The Puja Thali made with all things associated with Karwa Chauth-bangles,bindis and jewelry. A home made diya made of atta and decorated as you like. Also a great project that makes the day go by easily. Meethi Mathi or Sweet Mathis is a must in all punjabi households during Karwa Chauth. They are flour Mathis which are first deep fried and then dipped in a sugar syrup. Meethi Mathis can be made a couple of days before. An alternate to mathis,an easy recipe without the hassle of sugar syrup is Shakkarpare where i mix the sugar in the dough and fry and it turns out crunchy, crumbly yet soft.
This mathi is inspired by a famous shop in Kolkata,’Friends Home” that sells these mathis with a hole in them, only during karwa Chauth You can use the mathis for seeing the moon(if your custom permits) or just use it while giving ‘ark’ to the moon and breaking your fast.
I made this Karwa Chauth ki Thali using a red charger as my base and decorating it with all things associated with Karwa Chauth/bride. Bangles,jewelry or pearls,bindis. Feel free to make henna patterns,write your names or initials,the Om sign or the Swastik sign. In the middle of the thali I placed my Atte ka Diya, which I decorated with sindoor and bindis. You can use turmeric, chandan,paint to decorate.
Here is the way we do it in my family. It is a mix of what I learnt from my mother,seeing the way she observed the fast as well as from my mother in law, after I got married. The day before karwa Chauth is usually the fun day where you buy a new saree or outfit to wear the next day. Its not necessary to buy something new, as long as its something red,pink,orange,magenta or what we consider a bridal color. Of course, these days blue,yellow,green purple are also colors that have become very popular. Along with that also come the matching bangles,sindoor,nail polish, jewelry,purse and sandals! The ladies get together and put mehndi/henna the day before..We also buy some sweets and mathis,both the sweet and savory type for ‘sargi’ that’s eaten on Karwa Chauth day, before sunrise. The mother in law usually buys the sargi or gives money to the daughter in law to buy the sargi as well as saree and bangles etc The daughter in law from her side keeps a ‘baya’ or ‘baiyana’ on her thali during the evening puja. This ‘baya/bayana’ can be money,sweets,dry fruits, which she gives to the mother in law after the evening puja. It really is a bondng experience for the mother in law, daughter in law and the husband as both mother and wife eventually want a long, healthy life for the same person who is important to both.
After moving to a small town in America things obviously changed. There was no place to go and buy sargi, so I learnt to make Meethi Mathis at home. I also like to make Kalakand, which is one of the easiest desserts to make, in the microwave. You obviously want to make something effortless while fasting. I wake up before sunrise, shower and get ready and make something for sargi,usually a stuffed paratha with yogurt and tea. The days I used to work full time, I have even eaten a frozen Pizza for sargi on karwa chauth morning! Pheni in milk, is a must during sargi, but its just not available where we live. My husband has been fasting with me for the last 20 years now and we both eat the sargi together. I do check the sunrise timings and make sure to have a few sips of water before. My tip is to always try and eat something like almonds or milk,that’s high in protein and keeps you full for a while. If you are a caffeine addict,drink a large cup of tea! For me, its not as hard to go without food, its the lack of water that’s really challenging.
Me and my friends with our puja thalis
We are a small group of 4-5 ladies who get together in our friends house for puja around 5 pm. I usually make the atte ka diyas for all of us and we play the katha on itunes. I used to have a cassette that I got from India, but in this day and age, we all got rid of our cassette players so keeping up with the times, we play the katha on itunes. We go through the whole story about Veeravati as we pass our thalis along. After Puja, We give ‘ark’ to the sun. This was something I learnt from my mother in law and is not commonly practiced.
Giving ‘ark’to the sun after the katha
With my mom ,who was visiting me that year
Meanwhile the husbands prepare tea for all of us, they also join us after work and we all drink a cup of tea. After tea, we usually head back home. We take turns each year to host a karwa chauth potluck. We decide on a simple, home cooked menu and we get together again just before moonrise(we check the timings online) to see the moon together, give ark to the moon and eat dinner together. What a great way for husband and wife to bond,fasting for each others long life and good health.
Doing the katha
Here is a link of the Karwa Chauth Katha/legend in English
Here is the Karwa Chauth Vidhi
I have explained how I observe the fast here in the US. This may be different from the way it is observed in your family. Please follow your family traditions and rituals while observing this fast.
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