The festival of Karwa Chauth is considered highly auspicious in Hinduism. Women across the country observe a fast for the long and healthy lives of their husbands. A significant aspect of the festival is the ritual of sargi, which takes place before the fast begins. This ritual is traditionally performed by the mother-in-law, and it helps to strengthen the bond between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. But what should one do if they do not have a mother-in-law?
This year, Karwa Chauth will be celebrated on Sunday, October 20. According to the Vedic Panchang, the auspicious time for the festival begins at 6:46 am on Sunday and will end at 4:16 am on October 21. During the fast, women abstain from both food and water.
The ritual of sargi holds great importance during Karwa Chauth. As part of this tradition, a mother-in-law prepares a special pre-dawn meal for her daughter-in-law, which is to be eaten before the fast begins. The sargi platter typically includes food and drink, along with items for solah shringar (16 adornments) and puja. Suitable foods for sargi include fruits, sweets, kheer, dry fruits, milk, lightly fried foods, coconut water, and carbohydrate-rich dishes such as dosa or cheela. The food should be satvik (pure) in nature, with oily and spicy dishes avoided. Sargi is consumed during the Brahma Muhurat, between 4 am and 5 am, which means women wake up around 3 am to bathe before eating the sargi.
In cases where the mother-in-law is no longer alive, a woman may receive sargi from an elderly woman in the family, such as an elder sister-in-law. Alternatively, if the mother-in-law lives far away, she can send money for her daughter-in-law to purchase the sargi items herself.
The fast is broken after the moon is sighted. Women offer arghya to the moon and then open their fast. On this day, devotees also worship Karwa Mata, the moon, and Lord Ganesh as part of the celebration.
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