The RWA of Sector 50, Noida, on Sunday organised a puja to celebrate Karva Chauth, a one-day prayer and fast observed by Hindu women for the longevity of their husbands. The prayer meeting, which began at 3.30 pm, lasted an hour at the community centre. Newly married young women and newly wed couples congregated at the community centre and participated in the rituals with traditional enthusiasm and gaiety.
Karva Chauth is a festival that occurs on the fourth day of the Karthik month of the Indian calandar, when married women and those wanting to get married pray for the safety and long life of their husbands and husbands-to-be. The practice is prevalent largely in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh - and, of course, Delhi.
Women fast from early morning till moon rise, when they break their fast. Traditionally, and as per customs, the men serve the first bite of food to their wives or loved ones.
Vimal Sharma, RWA president, said congregations such as this to celebrate traditional festivals help bind the community together. There were at least 150 women living in Sector 50 who performed the puja together.