Karwa Chauth 2020: Here's Why Women Use Sieve (Chalni) On This Day To See The Moon

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Like every year, this year too on Wednesday i.e., on 4 November 2020, Hindu married women will observe the fast of Karwa Chauth to pray for their husband's long life, safety and happiness. This festival has a great significance in the life of Hindu married women, especially in the Northern parts of India.

When it comes to Karwa Chauth, there are so many rituals associated with it and seeing the moon through a sieve (Chalni) is one such ritual. We are sure, many of you might have wondered about the reason behind women using a sieve to see the moon on Karwa Chauth.

Here are a few reasons that will help you to understand this beautiful ritual.

According to a folk tale, there was a moneylender in a village who had seven sons and one daughter. The daughter had observed the fast of Karwa Chauth for her husband's well-being and long life. Due to the long and tiring fast, she started to feel uneasy. Seeing their only sister in such a condition, the brothers pleaded her to eat something to which she denied stating that she will eat only after she sees and worships the moon.

However, the brothers couldn't see their sister feeling hungry and thirsty. Therefore, they thought of a plan where they climbed a distant tree and placed a burning lamp on one of its branches. After that they placed a sieve in front of it and went to call their sister, stating that the moon was visible behind the tree branches. The woman hence worshipped the moon and broke her fast. Since she ate without seeing the actual moon, her husband fell ill and died eventually.

Also read: Karwa Chauth 2020: Vrat, Muhurta And Puja Vidhi For Unmarried Girls

It is being said, after that incident, women started to use the sieve to see the real moon themselves and then worship it for their husband's long life, good health, safety and happiness.
This mythological story is considered to be one of the reasons why women celebrate the Karwa Chauth festival.

In addition to the above story, there are also two more reasons why women use a sieve on Karwa Chauth to see the moon. The first reason among the two reasons is that married women in the Northern parts of India, do 'ghoonghat' (veil to cover their faces) in order to show respect to elders in their family. Due to this, they use a sieve as a ghoonghat while seeing the moon to show respect.

Also, the moon is considered to be the symbol of serenity, love and happiness. Women use a sieve to filter the rays coming from the moon. It is believed that the filtered rays contain happiness and positivity in them. Hence, a sieve is used by women during the Karwa Chauth.

We hope you liked the story associated with the reason behind women using a sieve during the Karwa Chauth festival.

Also read: Karwa Chauth 2020: 8 Unique Ideas To Make Your Wife Feel Special On This Day

We wish you a happy Karwa Chauth and happiness to you and your family!