Amitabh Bachchan’s romance in Baghban gave this fast new identity and almost every television serial has an episode dedicated to this fast showcasing the love and dedication of wives for their husbands.
No wonder then, hordes of young women in Gujarat will join Karvachauth festivities on Saturday where women fast the entire day for the long life of their husbands until they sight the moon in the evening through a sieve.
Payal Shah, a new bride, who will fast on Karvachauth for the first time said, “My mother-in-law respects this custom and if I fast on this day, my husband and my mother-in-law will understand the honesty and sincerity of this relationship. It will also help me receive more love and blessings.”
“Karvachauth — generally observed in Punjab and other parts of north India —has become popular with Gujarati couples, more so after Amitabh Bachchan observed a fast in the movie Baghban to proclaim his love for his on-screen wife Hema Malini,” said trustee of Panjabi Sewa Samaj – Om Prakash Bhatia.
Krishna Bhatia, 76, who has been observing this fast for 60 years, said, “Now even young Gujarati women have taken an interest in this vrat (fast) and many of them join in the rituals as soon as they decide upon a life partner. The fast has gained popularity even among unmarried women proclaiming their love for their boyfriends or fiancés.”
