chandigarh in india karva chauth is like womens day that imparts freedom to the fairer sex but is coupled with responsibilities towards her husband as she observes daylong fast even forgoing water to pray for his long life and prosperity said astrologer madan gupta spatuwidely solemnized by the hindus and sikhs of northwestern india this festival is commemorated on the the fourth day after the full moon in kartik month of hindu calendar as the name signifies karva means a clay pot and chauth corresponds to the fourth a few days before the event married women buy new karvas create beautiful designs on these and fill it with bangles and ribbons homemade candy and sweets makeup items and others they then visit each other and exchange these karvas parents also send gifts to married daughters and their childrenon this day the women get up before sunrise and worship shiva parvati ganesh kartikeya and the moon mothersinlaw give their daughtersinlaw sumptuous food called sargi to eat before starting their fast at sunrise many times the newly wed wear their wedding dress before the sun sets the women in a locality gather in one house and prepare a corner to place the image of gauri mata or goddess parvati in the olden days this image was made of cowdung as soon as the moon is sighted prayers are offered to it the fasting women first observe the moon through a sieve and then break their fast the first sip of water and the first morsel of food is offered by the husband a sumptuous dinner followsaccording to legend behind this festivity when lord yama came to procure satyavans soul savitri begged him to grant him life when he refused she stopped eating and drinking and yamraj finally relented another legend narrates a woman named karva was deeply devoted to her husband one day while bathing he was caught by a crocodile karva came running and bound the crocodile with a cotton yarn she then went to yama the lord of the death and requested him to send the offending crocodile to hell when yama refused she threatened to curse him afraid of the power of a devoted wife yama readily accepted and sent the crocodile to yamalok or hell and blessed karvas husband with long life