Karva Chauth

For quite some years now, the H.P.Government has been generous enough to allow holiday to women employees on the occasion of Karva Chauth and rightly so. The preparations for the occasion start quite a few days before , when women start getting for themselves new dresses and if possible , a new item of jewellery . A day before, the women apply mehendi on their palms and exchange Suhagi - bangles, ribbons, comb, looking glass, and sweets etc. -with neighbours and relatives. Even the habitual late risers have to get up early in the morning to stuff themselves with some eatables called sargi as after that it is nirjal vrat for the whole day till the capricious Moon appears in the sky for them to look at through the atta strainer or the chhanani and offer their prayers with water. The ridge at Shimla becomes the most talked about hub of this activity. The married women bedecked almost in bridal finery-shining dresses and jewellery- carrying thali full of flowers, sweets,lota filled with water and Dhoop batti accompanied by their husbands come to see the moon and in public view , without any hesitation touch the feet of the husband- true to the Hindu tradition. The husband is the hero of the day or so is he made to feel and appear, unlike the other 364 days of the year when the wife calls the shots.This heroship also comes for a price in the shape of new clothes etc. In most of the households, the husband is worshipped all through the year; it is a different matter that the manner and instruments vary.