In the current context, when rituals, customs, even true spirits of festivals have got subdued or diminished and when only some symbolic gestures are left, which our generation doesn’t even understand or does it just for fun. How come then, such a rigorous fasting ritual has sustained the test of time! Karva Cchauth is the time for shopping for self and mother-in-law. Gifts include heavy sarees, gold and diamond jewellery. Then women want their matching sandals, jewellery, glass bangles, bindis, cosmetics, hair accessories and flowers to dress up. Also, this is a booming time for beauty parlours as they offer special “Karva Chauth packages”! Skin clinics for hair reduction, skin upliftment, wrinkle corrector shots, specialised facials are the service areas which florish during this festive time. But with everything mentioned above a women is not even drinking a drop of water the whole day, let alone eating solid food!
Not eating for 10-12 hours a day is still manageable but all these so that my husband lives long! What if I don’t want my husband to live long because he beats me and I can’t say anything because of various pressures or may be my husband is a very good person and loves me very much but he has cancer. Will my fasting the whole day change everything? And even if there is no glitch, I love my husband and he loves me. We both are aware of the fact. I of course want him to live long, stay healthy how would my fast help him? And does he not want me to live long? Then why is he not fasting. This is all quite confusing.
Most of the times women fast because of the huge expectation piled on the poor bride from the entire family or fear of some bad consequence, only to be left comparing and counting the gold bangles worn by other women are wearing during the pooja! For the wealthy, it’s a show off time also.
And then, there are some metrosexual men, who still likes to be treated as semi God – The aarti utarna and touching feet of husband gesture makes me feel disgusted. How can a man be some kind of God? Or was it something to do with respect? Men being much elder than their wives? What about the same age couple? Or the ones where the wife is elder, do the man touches his wife’s feet? Do women really need to treat their men like Parmeshwar, even now?? It defies logic! But women do it, take the ashirwad (blessings) of their husbands, standing on the roofs, roadsides, parks, surrounded by people. Wow!
And if the whole farce is about love then why there is no reciprocation? Buying jewellery is no reciprocation. And in modern days even women buy gifts for husbands along with keeping the fast. My colleague is giving a Rado watch to her husband. So? Does it belittle a man’s social standing if he admits that he too fasts for his wife? Does he make himself a butt of ridicule in front of his mother first, his family and friends by showing his love for his wife? Why do Indian men don’t fast for their wives?
I don’t think we will be able to find the answer any time soon. So cheers to those women, who are fasting today, you are looking as beautiful as one can look after fasting the whole day in all those heavy saree and jewellery. And cheers to those who are not fasting today. Why? You need a reason why? You are lucky you are getting to eat that ham burger today. Go enjoy!
Featured image courtesy: googleimages
