Ranjit Parihar
Like Karva chouth in other parts of the country, Kanchoth and Gauri –Tritya a local festival of Women is celebrated with enthusiasm and religious fervour in erstwhile hilly Doda every year during the Shukla Paksha of Magh month in January and Febuary .
Karwa Chouth is celebrated mostly in wider geographical area in plains, Kanchoth and Gauri –Tritya is celebrated in three hilly districts of Bhaderwah , Kishtwar , Ramban and Doda districts of Jammu Province Both festivals are celebrated by women to pray for long life of their husbands. Style is almost same. The only difference is the timing. Where as Kanchoth and Gori –Tritya falls in winters while Karwa Chouth is celebrated during summer season. On Karwa Chouth women break their fast when the moon appears in the night while as in case of Kanchoth and Gori Tritya the fast is broken after Gouri Pooja during the day.
On the festival day women clad in crisp new elegant suit, donning matching jewellery, with henna painted hands pray for the long lives of their spouses. The occasion has great significance in the life of every married woman. The day is considered pious for women when they can pray to Goddess Gauri for the long and healthy lives of their husbands. Bangles, suit, bindis, sindur and mehndi are considered sanctimonious to be offered to the Goddess as well as to be worn by the women observing fast.
The Kanchoth festival though is of one day yet the festivity remains for three days. During these three days, ladies go in the neighborhood to offer ‘Thel’(respect) to one and all irrespective of creed and caste; age and sex and get in return their blessing ‘Suhagan Bho’(Live long your husband). The ladies are supposed to take food in every house they visit.
In some cases it so happens that they have to take their meals in scores of houses each day. In the night ladies gather, sing and dance. During these three days the kitchen is managed by husbands. On hilly terrain covered by snow when ladies dressed in their colorful traditional dresses move in a line from one village to another, it gives a feeling as if fairies from sky have descended on the earth. Kanchoth is celebrated in majority of area of erstwhile Doda while Gauri Tritya is celebrated mostly in Kishtwar district comprising of 7000 sq kilometer area. Both the festivals of women fall on same day during Desi Magh Mass i:e January –February every year . On Gauri Tritiya, a fast is observed to seek blessing of Goddess Parvati and the festival is observed on Tritiya of Shukla Paksha of Magh month every year. Women believe that observing the fast with dedication and devotion towards God helps them to attain a happy and prosperous life. Married women keep fast for their husband’s long life and the unmarried ones do so to get a compatible husband.
As many families from the erstwhile Doda have migrated to Jammu and other parts of country the people have maintained their tradition to celebrate the festival with great fervour. The festival envisages a message for the union of two souls and the sustainability of respect and honour for each other.
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