All festivals and rituals in Hinduism have a basis in a principle, but thousands of years ago when there were no learning systems like today, religion was used as an explanation. In this way, everyone could accept different relationships without question. The idea behind this festival is to promote love between a woman, her husband and in-laws, to give a respite, rest and well-being to the women who had a rather hard working everyday life.
Karwachauth is a one-day festival where all married women from several North Indian states, including Punjab, fast for their spouse. It is supposed to give the spouse a long life and promote love between the couple. The celebration lasts from before sunrise until the moon rises, it starts with a hearty vegetarian breakfast and throughout the day the ladies decorate themselves almost like a bride with henna paint, new saris, lots of jewelry and bracelets. Housework is completely prohibited and the ladies are supposed to just enjoy themselves all day 
Henna painting is a pattern drawn on the palms of the hands. Leaves from a bush are dried and crushed into a powder and the powder is mixed with mustard seed oil and water. This mixture is then filled into plastic molds and drawn on the palms of the hands. Over time, this pattern dries and when the hands are washed, a dark red or brown pattern appears on the hands that remains for a week – depending on how much the hands are in water. Most likely due to different skin pigments, the color is a different shade on each hand. In fact, it is said in popular parlance; the stronger the color, the stronger the love between the couple.
There is laughter, singing and family gatherings. In every street, women often gather for puja, prayer (explained in the post about Navratre ), at 4-5 pm and have a small ritual. It is common for women to receive gifts from both their family and mother-in-law. A fasting woman gives a gift to her mother-in-law and when the moon rises, the family gathers for a vegetarian feast. Happy Karwachauth :)
Karwachauth is a one-day festival where all married women from several North Indian states, including Punjab, fast for their spouse. It is supposed to give the spouse a long life and promote love between the couple. The celebration lasts from before sunrise until the moon rises, it starts with a hearty vegetarian breakfast and throughout the day the ladies decorate themselves almost like a bride with henna paint, new saris, lots of jewelry and bracelets. Housework is completely prohibited and the ladies are supposed to just enjoy themselves all day 
There is laughter, singing and family gatherings. In every street, women often gather for puja, prayer (explained in the post about Navratre ), at 4-5 pm and have a small ritual. It is common for women to receive gifts from both their family and mother-in-law. A fasting woman gives a gift to her mother-in-law and when the moon rises, the family gathers for a vegetarian feast. Happy Karwachauth :)