Karva Chauth 2010 - Karva Chauth Festival of India

The most important aspect of Karva Chauth day is that a dawn to dusk fast is undertaken by the North Indian ladies which ends with the appearance of the moon. The fast is unique perhaps because nowhere in the world does a wife go without food or water just to pray for the longevity and well-being of her husband.

Karva Chauth festival, the big fasting day has turned into a full-fledged event in todays day and time. The occasion is growing bigger with each passing day. The Halwais, the Mehendi and Churiwallis have traditionally been busy on this auspicious day. But joining the bandwagon in recent times are the beauty parlour owners, the event managers and the restaurant owners.

Cashing in on the popularity of 'eating out' most restaurants have special menus for this special day. No wonder almost every happening-eating joint around town is offering plenty of attractive options to choose from. Various clubs organize special events on this festive day with stalls, tambola and even dance competitions. With so much feasting and fun added to it, fasting had never been so good before.

Karva Chauth 2010 will be observed on 26th October, Tuesday.

Gift Ideas for Durga Puja, Navratri, Dussehra

Indians may give different names and may have different customs defining the 10 day festival in the month of October/November, Dussehra, Navratri or Durga Puja but the underlying spirit of celebrations remains the same. The citizens of this country do not believe in holding back, the festivities are full of life with many colours and sounds spread all over.

One of the major attractions of these celebrations is the ritual of exchanging gifts with loved ones, family, friends and acquaintances. It is a canvas in which everyone takes part with loads of energy and enthusiasm. This is the reason that the Navratri gifts or Durga Puja gifts have to be very special and have to represent the liveliness of these occasions. Some such gift ideas are listed here.

Sweets / Mithais for Durga Puja and Navratri

Durga Maa Idols and Puja Thalis / Accessories

Decoratives for Durga Puja and Navratri

Flowers as Durga Puja gifts

Paintings for Navratri, Durga Puja

Door Hangings / Bandhanwar and Wall Hangings

Chaniya Choli and Dandiya Sticks

Diyas / Lamps and Lanterns

Perfumes for Durga Puja celebrations

Jewelry as gifts on Navratri and Durga Puja

Send Flowers to India, USA, UK and Worldwide

Every season is the season of flowers. They are the most versatile of all gift ideas. Expressing so many emotions in a beautiful and candid way, these are a sure shot way of winning everyone's heart. Varied colours, pleasurable aromas, delicate appearances make them a favourite among all.

When deciding on the best choice of a gift for any occasion, it is considered thoughtful to add flowers as an add on to the gift idea. In fact, even if you are at a loss of what to gift on an occasion, send flowers and and see how your simple gift idea makes you popular with your loved ones.

With the fast changing lifestyles and increasing distances among loved ones, the gesture of gifting has gained importance. The availability of services which can deliver gifts at the recipients doorstep with a smile and the message accompanying the present has made it so easy to bridge the gaps of time and distance.

Send flowers to India, USA, UK and Worldwide with a trusted gifting service only. The experience of exchanging a gift of flowers should only add to the positive and happy memories that enrich our lives.

Karwa Chauth - The Fast for Long Life and Prosperity

The Indian cultural fabric is a rich one with people of various faiths and from different backgrounds mingling together as one. It is a societal canvass of many colours of lifestyles, languages, social practices, traditions, rituals and more. One of the most interesting chapters of this beautiful heritage is the festival of North and North western India called Karva Chauth.

Karwachauth is an occasion when married Hindu women pray to God for their husband's long life. Karva Chauth date falls about nine days before Diwali on the Kartik Ki Chouth - the fourth day of the waning moon or the dark fortnight, some time in October or November. Karva Chauth 2010 is on 25 October, Monday.

This occasion is considered more special for women who are observing their first Karva Chauth fast after marriage. A newly married woman is given utmost importance by relatives and immediate family members when she observes her first fast. She is showered with blessings for a blissful married life and loads of Karva Chauth gifts by her husband, mother-in-law and other relatives.

'Karwa Chauth' is a ritual of fasting observed by married Hindu women seeking the long life, well-being and prosperity of their husbands. Married women keep a strict fast and do not take even a drop of water. It is the most important and difficult fast observed by married Hindu women. It begins before sunrise and ends only after offering prayers and worshiping the moon at night. No food or water can be taken after sunrise. The fast is broken once the moon is sighted and rituals of the day have been performed. At night when the moon appears, women break their fast after offering water to the moon.

Honoring The Divine Goddess on Durga Puja and Navratri

Late september/early October each year is marked as the time for Durga Puja festivities. The dates of the festival are determined as per the Lunar calender. Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga as a form of Shakti. She is revered for her graciousness and her intolerance for any wrong and unfair deed. Durga is the Mother of the Universe and is a symbol of female dynamism. Durga, in Sanskrit means "She who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach." The manifestation of Goddess Durga is said to emerge from Her formless essence and the two are inseparable.

She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, she is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of Her two sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya, and daughter Jyoti. Destroyer of demons, she is worshiped during an annual festival called Durga puja, especially popular among Bengalis.

While earlier Durga was worshiped alone, now it is, more often than not, the goddess with her family. Durga is portrayed as the supreme head; and the presence of Ganesha, Kartikeya, Shiva etc marks a wholesome picture of divinity. In southern India, celebrations constitute a display of images of God and toys at home for nine days. However varied the nature of Durga Puja celebrations, what remains common is the reverence towards Maa durga.

Durga Puja festival has now taken a larger than life form, it is an extravaganza spread over the last five days of Navratri culminating in Dussehra. Age-old conch shells and drums have given way to loud film songs and expensive Durga Puja gifts are exchanged among loved ones. On the flip side, animal sacrifices, a must earlier, have been dispensed with at many places.

Send Flowers and Make Every Occasion Count

Whenever we want any celebration or remembrance to be etched in our memories forever we choose flowers as gifts. We can express any range of emotions by choosing just the right kind of flowers. From exotic to unique to elegant and common yet loved, the variety is endless.

Personal celebrations or public functions, grievance or happiness, kindness or love, everything can be said through them. One can send flowers for every form of expression. They leave a fragrance which lingers and stays with the recipient for a long time to come. There are some popular flower types but it is always better to read up or listen more to understand more about the other rare or exotic varieties and then decide on the ones to be gifted.

The advantage with flowers are many fold, one of which is that these can be clubbed with other gifts as chocolates, cakes, soft toys, collectibles, jewelry and many more. These are the most versatile of any gift idea. Flowers are a must have as Birthday gifts, Anniversary gifts, Wedding gifts, Congratulations gifts or Housewarming gifts etc.