Karva Chauth - Sikhism and Karva Chauth

Sikhism and Karva Chauth

Sikh doctrine opposes austerities and ritualism for spiritual benefit, including the concepts of pilgrimage and fasting. The Sikh gurus did not support the idea of any spiritual or religious benefits of fasting. Specifically, while fasting is permitted for health reasons, "fasting as an austerity, as a ritual, as a mortification of the body by wilful hunger is forbidden in Sikhism," whether it is Karva Chauth, Ramadhan or any other fast. This approach has been documented in Sikh scripture. The Adi Granth (verse 1136) says, "I do not keep the fast (vrat) nor Ramadan. I serve only the One who will save me in the end." In addition to registering their disagreement, in Guru Granth Sahib, on the religious/spiritual aspects of fasting, they specifically rejected the idea of Karva Chauth: ਛੋਡਹਿ ਅੰਨੁ ਕਰਹਿ ਪਾਖੰਡ ॥ ਨਾ ਸੋਹਾਗਨਿ ਨਾ ਓਹਿ ਰੰਡ ॥ ("She who partakes in forsaking grain and doing such a hypocrisy is neither married nor widowed, from AGGS, p873). For strict adherents, the observance of fasts by Sikh women are "outrageous" and "nothing short of blasphemy."

However, despite this fundamentalist/orthodox condemnation, Karva Chauth has "become a part of Sikh life", and a survey of Sikh women in the United Kingdom found that "Karva Chauth, a fast kept to secure the long life of husbands, was popular among Sikh women." Some Sikh commentators have called for greater tolerance for syncretic traditions such as Karva Chauth and Valentine's Day, which has also been condemned by orthodox members of several religious denominations in India but continues to make deeper inroads into both Sikh and Indian society.