"This is The best Karwa-chauth for all of us. Everyone was looking so great... and thanks for making it so memorable."  That's how one of the many spirited participant's related to the program host Sangeeta Saxena, after this year's tremendously popular celebration of Karwa Chauth at Satsang Center. It was co-hosted by the Gayatri Pariwar of Massachusetts. Over 200 ladies converged here for this festive celebration, which is growing in popularity with each passing year. 

The jubilant and enthusiastic participants started surging into the huge sanctuary of Satsang Center, on this lovely fall afternoon of October 15th, 2011. Unlike many previous such occasions, this year it happened to be a Saturday, and many husbands took the opportunity to accompany their better half for the celebration of  Karwa-chouth !

Karwa-chouth 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 understanding, tender heart and personal warmth. 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 pursuit of this goal.

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. As such, Karwa Chauth is a traditional fasting day observed by married Hindu ladies seeking the longevity, well-being and prosperity of their husbands. Some observe a strict fast and do not take even a drop of water. At night when the moon appears, women break their fast after offering water to the moon. 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. 

Puja ceremony was led by a Gayatri Pariwar volunteer and priestess, Sangeeta Saxena. She also, delivered a rousing keynote speech based on the thoughts of Acharya Shriram Sharma, about celebration's take home message and inspiring ideas of Karwa  Chouth. Puja which 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. 

Sangeeta specially emphasized the 'Dev-Dakshina-purnaahuti' during puja, and that became the most significant feature of this celebration, besides the traditional Katha and songs. She remarked that, "this is the moment when all the ladies took vows to cultivate a new personal virtue/strength to enrich and enliven their family lives." She did encourage all fellow sisters to take a complimentary vow to look 'with-in', then, identify and remove at least one behavioral defect or deficiency that might be proving an impediment to a happy family life. According to her, "this small step could take us a long way on the journey of personal fulfillment and family happiness." It is specially true, when these vows are made at the heightened emotional state of a festive occasion, in the presence of all the Dev-Shakti's.

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

Hum badlenge-Yug badleg!. We change - world will change.

Hum sudhrenge-Yug Sudhreg!. We improve - World will improve.

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