The centuries old tradition of day-long fasting and praying for husband's good health and prosperity is what makes 'Karva Chauth' one of the most talked about festivals of India.
And it goes without saying that like every other festival, Bollywood celebrates this one in style and how!
The divas of Bollywood are very excited on the eve of Karva Chauth and recently shared their experience of the same.
"I have been celebrating Karva Chauth for almost 20 years now. Earlier, we would go to my mother-in-law's place, but after my father-in-law passed away, we have been going to Anil's (Kapoor) house. This year too, we'll be celebrating it there. A day before Karva Chauth, all the women in our family get together and we apply mehndi on our hands. The next day, we all come together to perform the puja at around 4.30pm and then, there is an endless wait for the moon. I feel that on Karva Chauth, the moon always shows up later than the usual time (laughs). All of us wait on the terrace anxiously and it seems like an eternal wait. Since I don't even drink water during the fast, I get a bit more impatient. I always break my fast with the water used for the puja. After that, all the three families and close friends have dinner together. I also dress up for the occasion by wearing bright colours and heavy jewellery. I almost dress like a bride (laughs). You pray for your family everyday, but it's nice to pray for your husband's well-being on this day," said Sridevi who is married to filmmaker Boney Kapoor.
Sonali Bendre who has been celebrating the eve ever since she got married claims that her in-laws pamper her like a child on this special day. "I'm used to having small meals every two hours, so I find it difficult to starve. But all the pampering by my mother-in-law and my husband makes the fast worth it. My mother-in-law firmly believes in the tradition and as a daughter-in-law, I feel it is that one day in a year when I want to show my gratitude towards them. I also look forward to catching up with my sister-in-law and friends on this day. I love mawa pedas and break my fast by having them," she added.
However Shilpa Shetty confesses that this is a new practice for her. "South Indians don't celebrate Karva Chauth, but since I'm married to a Punjabi, I've been celebrating it for a few years now. I always dress up in traditional finery and jewellery on the occasion. And this year, I have designed my own sari, too. As much as I enjoy the festival, I hate fasting. Every year, I, along with my other friends, meet up at friend's place. We perform aarti in the evening and follow the usual ritual," said Shilpa who got hitched to Raj Kundra a couple of a years back.