Karva Chauth - How beautiful can beautiful be!

Today I want to celebrate those who celebrate us. Many of our wives, mothers, sisters, daughters are fasting voluntarily, for the well being of their spouses all over the world today. Let’s just take a pause and reflect on the depth and beauty of this tradition. 

Marriages today are not different than marriages have ever been. The challenges of running a common household, raising kids, resource crunch, two entirely different beings with fundamentally such different stripes that to call them a different species from each other would not be too far fetched; these two with no instruction manual to operate from except some traditions passed on from elders; trying to make it work with all sorts of storms, economic and otherwise encircling them all the time. Yet, out of these two birds holding on to their nest for dear life, one chooses to not eat all day; just to honor and seek the well being of the other, in-spite of all the commitments of the day, such as kids school, her job, her household work that did not go away. 

Now I know what your GMT anchored mind, injured psyche is screaming and leaping for.. “but what about him… why doesn’t he starve…that SOB doesn’t deserve this shit” etc etc. 

We can address that later, or not even; but just for these next few moments let’s adore the beautifully dressed mother and daughter and spouse and sister who are looking for the moon to show up, so their tradition rounds up for the day. They are invoking the blessings of the Universe/God/Nature… whatever it is that the truth is. They wish those to be showered on their nest and keep their men in good stead, health and otherwise. That’s the crystallized intent, that’s the prayer for this day. 

Now, God only knows whether God exists or not. To what extent her wishes will be fulfilled and her prayer answered, we don’t know. We also don’t know whether God/No God hears her or sees her today all dolled up this evening, in her traditional attire, bindi and all, accentuated by some Bichua and Mangalsutra. She went to town on herself today, you see and why not. A good occasion to dress up in your fineries should not be missed, should it? So we don’t know whether the higher powers see her today, but her children do. They see her all dolled up, making this day special, keeping this tradition alive and they breathe in a deep fulfilling breath of admiration for their mother and another strand of respect for their father is built. The nest got reinforced a tiny bit more today. The husband, may be good for nothing or may be a dedicated family man; sees her showering him with such adulation, he feels the gratitude that men do, but can’t express, and weaves a tiny strand of bulwark around the nest and around his own psyche. Men live for respect and women for love, may not be the complete story, but it sure is a part of the story. 

Then there are are bonds being created, built, re-inforced amongst the sister in law, the mother-in-law and the woman of the house, all otherwise playing to their own drum, but today they have a common song. Today their own brother, son, father is the object of devotion and the women bond as only women can around this simple thought.

So the festivities, sometimes muted, sometimes in full glory, go on in so many Hindu households, that uphold this tradition today. This festival by the way, is just a few weeks after “Woman Form” is worshipped in her nine different facets for nine different days. So our Bahurani is not hurting as much as some would have us believe, by fasting today. 

Is this voluntary display of affection and gratitude good for the family, the society, for the people… I will let you decide. Or may be I will let you do the math on divorce figures in India and the West. India has the magic potion of keeping families together. This and a million other traditions are all part of that mix. 

So thank you Moms, Sisters, Spouses…you look beautiful today. 

Indeed how beautiful can beautiful be!!

P.S. 

I won’t waste my breath on why the dude needs to do tit for tat. it’s a stupid way of looking at the world.