Karwa Chauth puts Kanpur women in fast mode

KANPUR: Dressed in beautiful reds and pinks, adorned with traditional jewellery and colourful henna patterns on their hands, city's married women observed Karwa Chauth Fast here on Tuesday. The festival witnessed huge rush in markers during day time while the streets looked deserted in the evening, as everyone reached home early to celebrate.
The celebrations began before sunrise and ended after offering prayers and worshipping when the moon appeared at night.The city terraces looked like party hubs, bright with lights and firecrackers. The men joined their wives in this daylong festivity with even kids trying to make the best of the revelry.
Fasting on this day is more popular in north India. Interestingly, television has created a trend of even unmarried young girls keeping the fast and sometimes women are joined in fasting by their spouse.
Married couple Vandana and Rahul Shukla observed fast together this year. Though Rahul wanted to fast last year too, he had to go for a meeting to Lucknow, so Vandana fasted alone.
"We celebrated our second marriage anniversary this year. There is no harm in fasting with my wife. She is happy and so am I," said Rahul. Similar words were echoed by Nikhil and Shalini.
In another household, though Naveen and Shalini have been married for 12 years, the husband started observing fast last year. "I was shocked when he came and said that he wanted to fast with my. My eight years old daughter laughed and then supported her Papa in what he wanted to do," said Shalini.
In every home one or two women were seen performing the puja while in city based girl's hostels, the scene was like out of a Karan Johar film. Several unmarried girls, observing puja together in their own unique ways was a charm for their neighbours as well as among the wardens.
"Some of the girls in my hostel have boyfriends. When they expressed their wish to fast, I did not allow initially, but later gave in. I was reluctant as I did not want any of the girls to get into any trouble," said Vaishali, a hostel owner in Ashok Nagar.