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Is Karva Chauth a sexist fast? A signal of oppression by men? Is it the saas’s vendetta, or just an example of Punjabi infiltration in our post-feminist society? For what was once a little-known festival outside certain circles has now become a pan-India affair.
The Bollywoodisation of a Festival
Liberal credits for this can be taken by the first movie that Bollywoodised Karva Chauth — Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge. Now, which woman can be immune to the charms of Raj Malhotra (Shah Rukh Khan), as he clandestinely comes to the terrace to meet his lady love, Kajol? (And even keeps a fast along with her, just to be fair, you know!)
And just like that, this auntyji and mummy-type festival became cool — duly stamped by the Love God, Shah Rukh Khan himself.
Of Wilful Torture and Renewed Romance
Niharika Jha, a television professional, says the festival is her way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. Nancy Katyal, an image consultant, says the little rituals involved in the festival — looking at the moon and her husband through the jaali — brings back the romance between her hubby and her.
Teesta Rajan, one such ‘hybrid’, likes to keep the fast for her husband. Her logic: you can’t go back to the day you were married, but you can keep one day in a year for when to express your husband’s importance in your life.
So there you have it. The modern Indian woman is at least emancipated and liberated enough to fast for her husband and yet be proudly herself. As Twinkle Khanna put it last year:
One of the better qualities we possess is that most of us will follow traditions and rituals as long as they do not demean or harm us, or cause us to do the same to another and make our elders happy. We simply do it rather than prove a point as to how liberated and independent we truly are.Twinkle Khanna
The Karva Chauth Industry
Meanwhile, an industry has sprung up around Karva Chauth. After all, it’s been 20 years since Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge released.
Famous couture designers have convinced the suhagan, or the married, to buy things that make them look like a bride again. There is even now such a thing as Karva Chauth nail art (see above). And Shilpa Shetty, Rani Mukherjee, Aishwarya Rai and all of Bollywood’s finest wifeys have done their bit in lending mainstream Bollywood cred to the festival.
An Instagramesque Karva Chauth
You know a festival is big when it has become a hashtag on Instagram. The hashtag karvachauth has.. wait for it.. over 4000 posts on the photo sharing app. So suits, mehendis, kangans, and kalash in Instagramesque filters have all become a hit.
(This article was first published on 29 October 2015. It is being reposted from Quint Archive on the occasion of Karva Chauth)