The Indian festival of Karwa Chauth is traditionally a time when women fast for a day for the wellbeing and health of their husbands. The festival is celebrated on the fourth day after the first full moon after the end of the Dussehra festival. However, in a twist to the tradition, several celebrities have decided to fast for their wives.
The idea began when Anupam Mittal, the founder and CEO of People Group which owns Shaadi.com, promised to this on twitter. He tagged several celebrities, including author Chetan Bhagat to follow suit. Bhagat tweeted, “Have you taken the pledge yet?#FastForHer.” He tagged several more celebrities including, UTV’s director Ronnie Screwvala, Bollywood playback artist Mohit Chauhan and former head of the Indian Express newspaper Shekhar Gupta.
Shaadi.com has created a special portal for the initiative, and around 500,000 individuals have signed up for it so far. The husbands will be undertaking a full-day fast just as women usually do. Usually, celebrations include the telling of mythological tales about the Hindu deities, Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha, and the chanting of sacred mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya and Rudra Ashtakam. However, the fasting husbands haven’t indicated if they will be following these customs!
“I have always believed that a marriage is successful when there’s love, respect and equality. I hope that more men join in and #FastForHer,” said Chetan Bhagat in a tweet. Actor Hiten Tejwani tweeted too, “I am proud to be a part of the #FastForHer initiative. I think it’s a great idea, to ask men to take a stand and fast for their wives”.