[Photograph of an elder at a Karvachauth celebration in Burnaby]

Creator: Chandra Bodalia

2005-10-20

Photograph of an elder at a Karvachauth celebration at the Hindu Cultural Society and Community Centre of B.C. in Burnaby, B.C.

Typical celebrated in Nepal, Northern India, and Western India, Karvachauth is a beloved one-day Hindu festival where married women fast (vrata) from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. The festival fall on the fourth day of the full moon during the Kartika month. Before sunrise, the married woman eat sargi, which is a meal consisting of vermicelli (kheer), milk, and dry fruit. Upon moonrise, the fasting woman views the moon through a sieve, and then turns to look at her husband through the same sieve. The ceremony is completed when the husband presents their fasting wife with water and food.

Officially registered as the Hindu Cultural Society and Community Centre of B.C., the Hindu Temple of Burnaby, previously known as Vishva Hindu Parishad temple, stands as one of Canada's oldest and largest Hindu temples. It was founded on May 15, 1972 as a small prayer hall in North Burnaby, dedicated to preserving and promoting Hindu culture and traditions.

India Today, "When is Karwa Chauth 2021? Date, significance and all you need to know." Hindu America, "Karwa Chauth: How Hindu couples honor each other on this fall holiday."

1 photograph : col. negative

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0