October 07, 2017
Pramod Pathak
Tomorrow 08 October 2017 is Karva Chauth Fasting day. In India this is a dry fast observed by women for the well being of husband. The fast is broken only after the sighting of moon.
Why this practice and why this gender bias against women. Why no such fast for men. Why am I discussing it!!!
Traditionally every part of India has some sort of fasting in this lunar cycle(Kartika) after full moon day. The new moon day or amavasya which falls at the end of this cycle is Deepawali celebrations.
The Indian cropping season is classified into two main seasons
(i) Kharif.
(ii) Rabi based on the monsoon.
The kharif cropping season is from July –October during the south-west monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is from October-March (winter). The crops grown between March and June are summer crops.
Now you can clearly see the time of festivals are in sync with harvest time. Post harvest is free time and thus the festivals. Festivals means lots of feasting. Post festivals is sowing time, lots of hard work for men folk.
So all the fasting for women was for healthy reasons. Now that both men and women are feasting daily without any fasting and hard work in fields, this concept of fasting only for women is unhealthy for men.
These were traditionally concepts for healthy living. So dear folks if you are leading a sedentary lifestyle and want to feast on those sweets on Deepawali, better to go on dry fast tomorrow.
Why this practice and why this gender bias against women. Why no such fast for men. Why am I discussing it!!!
Traditionally every part of India has some sort of fasting in this lunar cycle(Kartika) after full moon day. The new moon day or amavasya which falls at the end of this cycle is Deepawali celebrations.
The Indian cropping season is classified into two main seasons
(i) Kharif.
(ii) Rabi based on the monsoon.
The kharif cropping season is from July –October during the south-west monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is from October-March (winter). The crops grown between March and June are summer crops.
Now you can clearly see the time of festivals are in sync with harvest time. Post harvest is free time and thus the festivals. Festivals means lots of feasting. Post festivals is sowing time, lots of hard work for men folk.
So all the fasting for women was for healthy reasons. Now that both men and women are feasting daily without any fasting and hard work in fields, this concept of fasting only for women is unhealthy for men.
These were traditionally concepts for healthy living. So dear folks if you are leading a sedentary lifestyle and want to feast on those sweets on Deepawali, better to go on dry fast tomorrow.
