Logic and rituals

A little before Diwali, the festival of lights, Karva Chauth has a religious sanctity that few festivals have

Logic seems to have overtaken rituals in India. There is  an awakening of sorts giving a go-by to dogmatic practices especially in the much feared sphere of religion. There is an attempt to redefine age old conventions by making them pro women. Voices have begun to question rituals which are not gender neutral. Often women bear the brunt and men are exempt.  

 One such is the recently concluded Karva Chauth. An annual practice this is among the most difficult rituals exclusively for married women. It is, to put it simply, the rigour of fasting for the husband’s well being and praying for his longevity. Not only does she go hungry for well over 15 hours but is not even allowed a drop of water. 
 The fast is broken at the sighting of the moon.  Traditionally, the wife  glances at the moon through a sieve and then at her husband's face. He  then offers her a sip of water to break her fast.
 Married women and sometimes even unmarried ones fast from the crack of dawn till the rising of the moon. While strictly a ritual for the husband, unmarried girls often observe it for someone they are engaged to or in love with. 
 In fact many college girls, fast for their boyfriends, some with and others without their parents knowing.  
 A little before Diwali, the festival of lights, Karva Chauth has a religious sanctity that few festivals have. In fact it has an element of celebration weaved into religion. It is about praying but at the same time it brings with it revelry, singing and dancing all in one.  
 Women shop for new clothes, turn out in bridal attire and   jewellery. An important element is henna and bangles: both signs of matrimony. 
 The importance of this can be gauged by the fact that henna artists make a killing applying exquisite designs each costing more than the other. This time around a new element was introduced with patterns showcasing the legend of Karva Chauth or simply the pati patni, husband wife designs or religious motifs adorning one or both hands. The costs were phenomenal with a design on one hand for a whopping 21,000 Indian rupees. 
 There is a tradition that amid the intricate filigree design, the husband’s name is embedded. This also comes with a additional price tag. A new concept of what was tagged as stylish mehndi was also doing the rounds this time around, as was the Rajasthani and Arabic design mehndi. Unlike the Rajasthani mehndi the Arabic designs are heavier but without much details. Another popular design which made a debut this year was the kalash, urn and the bridegroom: for the newly wed brides. 
 If any political party had popularized the Karva Chauth festival it is the BJP. With its pro-Hindu agenda, it clearly places Karva Chauth high on its priority list. 
 Sushma Swaraj, now India’s External Affairs Minister, always took the lead when it came to Karva Chauth. For years she hosted a film show exclusively for women. Well turned out in her bridal finery, Swaraj made it a point to wear sindoor, vermillion, right across the parting of her hair. 
 In India urban women do not sport vermillion any more. Vermillion is used by married women either on the forehead or along the parting of the hair.  BJP apart, Karva Chauth has been popularized by Bollywood with many songs-sequences focusing on the festival. 
 However this year around there seems to be a kind of a reversal with voices questioning Karva Chauth being  women centric. 
 In the past there were misgivings about husbands being mute spectators to what wives went through the day but it did not go beyond lip service. Gradually they begun participating by either staying home or taking their wives out or shopping for or with them. There were some who also observed the fast but they were far and few. This year some went as far as getting the wives name written on their palm. 
 But these are symbolic gestures. They do not touch the root. Nor do they question why it is an only women ritual. Is the wife’s longevity not as important as the husband’s? Is it only  the woman who is married to the man? Isn’t marriage a bond between two people: the husband and the wife? 
 These and many similar questions demanding a level playing field are gaining ground. Earlier they were subdued but this year around these voices are not only vocal but loud enough to be heard by all those who practice and encourage anti women rituals.  That apart, there is a move to deride the much observed fast and also refer it in frivolous terms. This is a new trend given that when it comes to religion even critics tread carefully. But this time around caution is being thrown to the winds. This time around knives are out and men are on the chopper block.  Now there is a debate raging around women fasting for men: the ritual being slammed as being outdated but more importantly being anti-feminist. Now the much revered festival and celebrated ritual has become controversial. 
 In a never before, Karva Chauth is being dismissed as KC, its abbreviated form; women worshipping husband being mocked at and write-ups about how regressive the practice is. If someone is terming it as anti feminism in designer wear, others are joking about the pati parmeshwar, husband is god, concept that the ritual perpetuates. Like KC, pati parmeshwar is dismissed as PP. Some have gone as far as to call it a hydra-headed monster. 
 The designer wear reference is to the modern, urban woman who otherwise professes to be open minded and liberal succumbs in the face of religion, ritual and superstition. 
 Ofcourse they camouflage it as doing it more for fun than following a tradition or the fact that fasting is good for health. The claim sounds hollow in the face of their waiting for the moon and then seeing it through a sieve in the belief that Destiny will give him an extended lease of life. 
 This is not so much about the fast but about the chauvinism that this particular fast denotes; it is about men versus women where the former is worshipped and the latter made to suffer; it is about gender inequality staring you in the face and crying for reform. It is about religion getting the better of women’s rights. It is about reiterating men’s superiority and dominance and making women subservient to them. Worse still it is using religion and ritual to hammer that in a society that claims to be fast changing and a country that seems to be on the move.  
 Of course there is a commercial aspect to this with gift sellers promoting a range of options from perfumes to jewellery. But that will do little to the debate or stem the discontent that activists are flagging. Ofcourse it is too premature to take the form of either a protest or a movement but the seeds are sown. Or to use a political slogan: mera desh badal raha hai, my country is fast changing.

The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected]) 

Logic and rituals

A little before Diwali, the festival of lights, Karva Chauth has a religious sanctity that few festivals have

Logic seems to have overtaken rituals in India. There is an awakening of sorts giving a go-by to dogmatic practices especially in the much feared sphere of religion. There is an attempt to redefine age old conventions by making them pro women. Voices have begun to question rituals which are not gender neutral. Often women bear the brunt and men are exempt. One such is the recently concluded Karva Chauth. An annual practice this is among the most difficult rituals exclusively for married women. It is, to put it simply, the rigour of fasting for the husbands well being and praying for his longevity. Not only does she go hungry for well over 15 hours but is not even allowed a drop of water. The fast is broken at the sighting of the moon. Traditionally, the wife glances at the moon through a sieve and then at her husbands face. He then offers her a sip of water to break her fast. Married women and sometimes even unmarried ones fast from the crack of dawn till the rising of the moon. While strictly a ritual for the husband, unmarried girls often observe it for someone they are engaged to or in love with. In fact many college girls, fast for their boyfriends, some with and others without their parents knowing. A little before Diwali, the festival of lights, Karva Chauth has a religious sanctity that few festivals have. In fact it has an element of celebration weaved into religion. It is about praying but at the same time it brings with it revelry, singing and dancing all in one. Women shop for new clothes, turn out in bridal attire and jewellery. An important element is henna and bangles: both signs of matrimony. The importance of this can be gauged by the fact that henna artists make a killing applying exquisite designs each costing more than the other. This time around a new element was introduced with patterns showcasing the legend of Karva Chauth or simply the pati patni, husband wife designs or religious motifs adorning one or both hands. The costs were phenomenal with a design on one hand for a whopping 21,000 Indian rupees. There is a tradition that amid the intricate filigree design, the husbands name is embedded. This also comes with a additional price tag. A new concept of what was tagged as stylish mehndi was also doing the rounds this time around, as was the Rajasthani and Arabic design mehndi. Unlike the Rajasthani mehndi the Arabic designs are heavier but without much details. Another popular design which made a debut this year was the kalash, urn and the bridegroom: for the newly wed brides. If any political party had popularized the Karva Chauth festival it is the BJP. With its pro-Hindu agenda, it clearly places Karva Chauth high on its priority list. Sushma Swaraj, now Indias External Affairs Minister, always took the lead when it came to Karva Chauth. For years she hosted a film show exclusively for women. Well turned out in her bridal finery, Swaraj made it a point to wear sindoor, vermillion, right across the parting of her hair. In India urban women do not sport vermillion any more. Vermillion is used by married women either on the forehead or along the parting of the hair. BJP apart, Karva Chauth has been popularized by Bollywood with many songs-sequences focusing on the festival. However this year around there seems to be a kind of a reversal with voices questioning Karva Chauth being women centric. In the past there were misgivings about husbands being mute spectators to what wives went through the day but it did not go beyond lip service. Gradually they begun participating by either staying home or taking their wives out or shopping for or with them. There were some who also observed the fast but they were far and few. This year some went as far as getting the wives name written on their palm. But these are symbolic gestures. They do not touch the root. Nor do they question why it is an only women ritual. Is the wifes longevity not as important as the husbands? Is it only the woman who is married to the man? Isnt marriage a bond between two people: the husband and the wife? These and many similar questions demanding a level playing field are gaining ground. Earlier they were subdued but this year around these voices are not only vocal but loud enough to be heard by all those who practice and encourage anti women rituals. That apart, there is a move to deride the much observed fast and also refer it in frivolous terms. This is a new trend given that when it comes to religion even critics tread carefully. But this time around caution is being thrown to the winds. This time around knives are out and men are on the chopper block. Now there is a debate raging around women fasting for men: the ritual being slammed as being outdated but more importantly being anti-feminist. Now the much revered festival and celebrated ritual has become controversial. In a never before, Karva Chauth is being dismissed as KC, its abbreviated form; women worshipping husband being mocked at and write-ups about how regressive the practice is. If someone is terming it as anti feminism in designer wear, others are joking about the pati parmeshwar, husband is god, concept that the ritual perpetuates. Like KC, pati parmeshwar is dismissed as PP. Some have gone as far as to call it a hydra-headed monster. The designer wear reference is to the modern, urban woman who otherwise professes to be open minded and liberal succumbs in the face of religion, ritual and superstition. Ofcourse they camouflage it as doing it more for fun than following a tradition or the fact that fasting is good for health. The claim sounds hollow in the face of their waiting for the moon and then seeing it through a sieve in the belief that Destiny will give him an extended lease of life. This is not so much about the fast but about the chauvinism that this particular fast denotes; it is about men versus women where the former is worshipped and the latter made to suffer; it is about gender inequality staring you in the face and crying for reform. It is about religion getting the better of womens rights. It is about reiterating mens superiority and dominance and making women subservient to them. Worse still it is using religion and ritual to hammer that in a society that claims to be fast changing and a country that seems to be on the move. Of course there is a commercial aspect to this with gift sellers promoting a range of options from perfumes to jewellery. But that will do little to the debate or stem the discontent that activists are flagging. Ofcourse it is too premature to take the form of either a protest or a movement but the seeds are sown. Or to use a political slogan: mera desh badal raha hai, my country is fast changing. The writer is a senior Indianjournalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])