Special Karva Chauth parties make fasting fun

Special Karva Chauth parties make fasting fun

The day is packed with fun-filled activities like dumb charades and antakshari

After fasting the entire day for their husband’s long life on Karva Chauth, women break the fast after sighting the moon and an elaborate puja. A predominantly North Indian ritual, the day is spent by organising group mehndi sessions and katha sessions. Women dress their best on this day and the first morsel is fed to them by their husbands. Besides the religious significance, these days women pack this day with fun-filled activities too. Shalini Walia feels that though Karva Chauth is a religious occasion, women need to divert their mind from food. “My Karva Chauth party takes place in the afternoon at home. Our aim is to have a little bit of fun as we fast throughout the day and it gets quite taxing by afternoon,” said Walia. Her sister-in-law Preeti further explains, “In the afternoon, we feel very hungry. Hence, we divert our mind with games and other activities. We have games like dumb charades, antakshari and give out spot prizes for the lady with the most attractive saree, best make-up, best hairstyle, longest mangalsutra, etc.” Rajni Sighal along with her friends have organised a lavish Karva Chauth party at a city banquet hall. It will include foot-tapping music and mehendi session. “Our Karva Chauth party always has a theme. Last year it was Hawaiian, while this year’s theme is English Hinglish. It will have indo-western elements. In fact, we also have spot pizes for the woman with beautiful skin and many such interesting categories. The fast is very strict and organising a party for the women to have fun is definitely a good way to lighten the mood,” said Singhal. Many of these parties are hosted at plush hotels in the city and women enjoy every bit it. They share experiences of being a wife and this heart-to-heart talk is what makes the party even more fun. For many the Karva Chauth party is about dressing up and having a good time with friends and family. Unlike others, Malini Khanna’s Karva Chauth party will involve their husbands too. She said, “We have the get-together on the evening of Karva Chauth after the women end their fasts. We are 12 friends and all of us have come together along with our respective husbands to celebrate marriage.” “We have a special quiz called, ‘You know Best’ where the husband and wife are asked personal questions. Prizes are given to the most compatible couple,” Khanna added.