Women gathered at the Karwa Chauth get-together hosted by Mrs. Pooja Madhok in Varanasi. Image: Handout.
The room had turned into a riot of red and gold. Banarasi silks, bangles that chimed with every gesture, hands dark with fresh mehndi. On Karwa Chauth, some of Varanasi's best-known women from the city's business families set aside a few hours for one another, gathering for a get-together hosted by Mrs. Pooja Madhok before each of them headed home to break the day's fast with her husband.
Anyone who has grown up in this city knows how Karwa Chauth unfolds. The day begins before sunrise with sargi, and after that there is no food and, for many, not even a sip of water until the moon is sighted. It is a long wait. Over the years, more and more women in Varanasi have chosen to spend part of it together rather than alone at home, and this gathering was very much in that spirit.
The mood was easy and unhurried. Puja thalis were laid out with diyas, sindoor, sweets and the karwa, the small earthen pot from which the festival takes its name. Women sat together in a wide circle, comparing saris and admiring one another's mehndi.
What stood out was the company itself. These are women who, on most days, are busy running homes and helping run family enterprises. For a few hours, the diaries were put away. The conversation moved between laughter and the shared, slightly impatient question that every Karwa Chauth eventually comes to: what time will the moon rise tonight?
Among those in attendance were Mrs. Meena Trivedi, Mrs. Sonia Bhasin, Mrs. Ayesha Ohri Agrawal, Mrs. Shweta Agarwal and Ms. Priyanka Rai, along with many other familiar faces from the city's business community.
The get-together gave women who keep the same fast a chance to mark it side by side, and the photographs from the day show just how much they enjoyed it.
As evening approached, the gathering slowly thinned out. One by one, the guests left for their own homes, where the familiar ritual waited: the sieve, the first glimpse of the moon, and the first sip of water from a husband's hand.
In a city where festivals have always been as much about people as about prayer, it was a fitting way to spend the longest part of the day.
Photos from the get-together
Host Mrs. Pooja Madhok at the get-together. Image: Handout.Guests seated together at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.Puja thalis and offerings laid out for the occasion. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Women gathered around the Karwa Chauth puja arrangement. Image: Handout.Guests with their puja thalis. Image: Handout.Guests with their thalis during the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests seated together during the get-together. Image: Handout.Women seated around the puja arrangement. Image: Handout.Guests at the get-together. Image: Handout.Guests share a moment during the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests seated together during the gathering. Image: Handout.A guest with her puja thali. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.A guest at the Karwa Chauth get-together. Image: Handout.Women seated around the puja arrangement. Image: Handout.Guests seated together during the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests with their puja thalis. Image: Handout.Guests with their puja thalis. Image: Handout.Guests seated together during the gathering. Image: Handout.A guest with her puja thali. Image: Handout.Guests with their puja thalis. Image: Handout.Women seated around the puja arrangement. Image: Handout.A guest with her puja thali. Image: Handout.A guest with her puja thali. Image: Handout.Guests share a moment during the gathering. Image: Handout.A guest with her puja thali. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests pose together at the gathering. Image: Handout.Guests with their puja thalis. Image: Handout.
About the author
Appurva Singh
Journalist and News Anchor, Dalimss News
Appurva Singh is a Journalist and News Anchor at Dalimss News. She completed her graduation in Mass Communication from the School of Management Sciences (SMS), Varanasi, and is now pursuing her postgraduate studies in Mass Communication at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith (MGKVP), Varanasi. She reports and presents the news with a focus on clear facts and on stories that connect with people, aiming to make news easier to follow and more meaningful for viewers.
Sources and reporting
Based on information provided by the organisers of the get-together.
