Learn the Significance and Story of Sakat Chauth: A Hindu Festival Celebrating the Bond Between Husbands and Wives

Sakat Chauth is a Hindu festival that is celebrated by married women in the northern and central regions of India, typically on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November). The festival is dedicated to the well-being and long life of their husbands.

On the day of Sakat Chauth, women wake up early in the morning and eat a pre-dawn meal, after which they begin a day-long fast. They dress in new clothes and apply henna to their hands. In the evening, they gather with other women to perform puja (worship) to the moon, which is said to have a special significance on this day. They listen to the story of Sakat Chauth and perform a puja, in which they offer prayers and offerings to the god of the moon. After the puja, the women break their fast by eating the prasad (sacred food) that was offered to the gods during the puja.

The story of Sakat Chauth goes as follows :

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful queen named Veervati who was deeply devoted to her husband, King Chandrakirti. One day, while the king was away on a military campaign, Veervati heard that he had been captured by a powerful demon. Distraught with worry, she decided to fast and pray for her husband's safe return.

On the fourth day of her fast, she was told that the moon god, who was her father-in-law, would be passing by and that she should ask him for help. When the moon god appeared, Veervati begged him to rescue her husband. The moon god was moved by her devotion and promised to help her.

He went to the demon's kingdom and defeated him, freeing King Chandrakirti. The king was reunited with his wife, and they lived happily ever after.

To honor Veervati's devotion, the moon god declared that any woman who fasted on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Kartik and prayed for her husband's well-being would have her wishes granted. And thus, the festival of Sakat Chauth was established.

The festival is not only celebrated by Hindu's but also by some Jain and Sikh communities. The festival focuses on the bond between husband and wife, the importance of love and trust between them, and also the devotion towards their family and relatives.