Hugely popular Karwa Chauth puja attracted a house full of celebrants hosted by Dwarkamai Sai Temple and Gayatri Pariwar. Groups of jubilant ladies in a very festive mood started surging into a welcoming shrine of Dwarkamai, on this beautiful fall afternoon of October 11th, 2014. Puja started with over 150 ladies dressed in radiant colors and sporting dazzling traditional jewelry seated in circles. Soon an amazing and vivid Hindu tradition reflecting marital bonds and deep family roots came to a zesty life. As the name suggests, karwa meaning a clay pot and chauth meaning fourth, that is this festival is observed on the fourth day after the Full-Moon in Kartik month of the Hindu calendar. 

This festival recognizes and celebrates mutual vows of wife and  husband. And, lately many husbands have also started fasting with their wife, making it a celebration of mutual bonding, tender heart and personal warmth. As such, Karwa Chauth is a traditional fasting day observed by married Hindu woman praying for the longevity, well-being and prosperity of her husband. Some observe a strict fast and do not even take a drop of water.  At night when the moon rises, women break their fast after offering water to the moon. In Hindu Dharma, the goal of life is Self-realization or the realization of the Supreme Consciousness (Parmatman), and fasting has been a much sought after technique among many  others, in preparation/pursuit of this goal. 

Sangeeta Saxena, conducted the puja ceremony and delivered an inspirational, rousing keynote address as the take home message and main theme of Karwa  Chouth celebration. She emphasized on embedding USA, an acronym for the Upasana (उपासना), Sadhana (साधना), Aradhana (आराधना),  in the participant’s daily lives. And, she lucidly interspersed the entire ceremony with the life-changing philosophy and inspirational message based upon the teachings of Yugrishi  Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya (founder of All World Gayatri Pariwar). The puja started with the Kalash (Karwa) Pujan, Sarva-Dev-Namskar, parva-katha and concluded with Purnahuti-mantras and Vedic Shanti mantras for the peace, joy and well-being of all. 

In the extremely rich tapestry of India's cultural diversity, the festival of Karwa Chauth, shows the utmost  value of family and the significant role of women in Hindu Dharma. Indeed, in most Hindu households, the lady serves as a significant link between the family and society. Thus, apart from religious reasons, this festival of Karwa Chauth holds more of a social significance. 

After offering the ahutis of Gayatri & Mahamrityunjay mantras, the celebration concluded with 'Dev-Dakshina-purnaahuti', a  key aspect  of this celebration, besides the traditional Katha and songs. A volunteer of Gayatri Pariwar and officiating priestess Sangeeta Saxena continued to explain that this is the moment in puja, all the ladies take vows to cultivate a new personal virtue/strength for continued personal growth and enrichment of  their family lives. She also encouraged all her fellow sisters to take a complimentary vow to look 'with-in', and then identify and take vow to remove at least one behavioral flaw or habit  that might be proving an impediment to a happy family life. Sangeeta emphasized  that this small step could propel us a long way on the journey of personal fulfillment and family happiness. It is especially  valuable, when these vows are made at the heightened emotional state of a puja/festive occasion, in the presence of all the Dev-Shakti's. Participants are truly moved by the life changing message of Gayatri Pariwar. 

The program concluded with energetic jingles of 'Thought Revolution Movement' pioneered by the All World Gayatri Pariwar. The most captivating were:

Hum badlenge-Yug badlege!.      à¤¹à¤® बदलेंगे - युग बदलेगा (We change - world will change.)

Hum sudhrenge-Yug Sudhrege!. हम सुधरेंगे - युग सुधरेगा  (We improve - World will improve.)

The event turned out to be a huge success with the active support of dedicated volunteers: Jayashree Mohapatra, Smita Kapadia, Neeta Purohit, Aditi Khare, Renu Srivastava, Sunita Dilwali and Jaishri Gunda.

Gayatri Parivar of Massachusetts is actively providing services to facilitate and perform much sought after family ceremonies which are integral part of Hindu tradition. Please check www.Gayatri.info for  more information and upcoming events' flyers.