There is no compulsion for unmarried girls to use a sieve.
Unmarried girls can break the fast by offering Arghya to the stars on the day of the fast. They do not need to break fast by offering Arghya to the moon like married women.
Married women are the ones who mostly observe Karwa Chauth, a revered Hindu festival that is marked with intense devotion and prayer. In North Indian states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan, this auspicious day, which will be celebrated on November 1 this year, is particularly significant.
While we have known for generations that Karwa Chauth is typically for married women who pray for the well-being of their husbands, did you know that it can be observed by unmarried girls as well, albeit with some different rules? If unmarried girls observe fast following the rituals, they get the blessings of Karva Mata.
According to Astrologer Pandit Bhalchand Khaddar, every year the fast of Karwa Chauth is observed on the Chaturthi date of Krishna Paksha of Kartik month. On this day, married women observe Nirjala fast for the long life of their husbands. This fast is for married women to observe but single girls are welcome to observe it as well, according to the astrologer. Unmarried girls can keep the fast of Karwa Chauth for their fiance, lover or the person they consider their life partner. Here are the rituals that unmarried women should follow according to the astrologer:
- Unmarried women should observe fruit fast instead of waterless fast on this day. There is no compulsion for unmarried women to observe Nirjala fast.
- Karwa Chauth fast is observed by worshipping Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha, Kartikeya and the moon. However, unmarried women should just hear the tale of Maa Karva and offer prayers to Mother Parvati and Lord Shankar during the Karwa Chauth fast.
- Unmarried girls can break the fast by offering Arghya to the stars on the day of the fast. They do not need to break fast by offering Arghya to the moon like married women.
- There is no compulsion for unmarried girls to use a sieve during the fast. They can offer Arghya and break the fast by looking at the stars without a sieve.
