Karva Chauth Gifts That’ll Win You The ‘Best Husband Ever’ Title
As with everything, the customs of Karva Chauth have evolved. We reached out to five couples, who shared how the sacred festival is finding 21st century prevalence with sentimental gestures and special gifts, which often come encrusted with natural diamonds.
In 2023, Karva Chauth still holds its resolute relevance and is revered by married and unmarried couples across the country. One of the most beautiful aspects about the time-honoured festival is that it beckons to simpler times: an age when tradition and love intersected. That entrenched essence remains the same even today, but modern couples are eschewing some archaic rituals by reinvigorating them with their own traditions infused with meaning and in tandem with contemporary standards of living.
Where some husbands are fasting with their wives, some are forgoing the pivotal custom of fasting all together. But almost all go the extra mile to make it unforgettable with a thoughtful gift. Precious, pretty and emblematic to posterity and permanence, natural diamonds have become a mammoth part of these new traditions, and for good reason. Diamonds are forever, they say. So, what could be more symbolic of the holy matrimony that’s meant to last a lifetime than a totem that’s literally formed naturally to last an eternity?
Love At First Fast
Ankit Gupta, a steel and real estate professional, recalls his earliest memory of Karva Chauth with his wife and founder of a graphic design company, Chandni Gupta that traces back to a trip they took together. The duo was all but 18 at the time. “During our dating phase, we went on a holiday to Goa with our friends. I vividly remember Chandni not eating a single morsel all day,” he reminisces. When she didn’t budge even at several of his behests and eventually to his dismay, Ankit assumed she might be queasy. “He didn’t know it was Karva Chauth that day and I was fasting for him,” reveals Chandni, painting a picture of her maiden fast. After moonrise, she disclosed her real reason. Ankit didn’t shy away from reciprocating the gesture over time. “After we got married, I kept a fast with Chandni for the first few years. With work commitments, I couldn’t keep up with fasting, but I continued some of our personal Karva Chauth customs like taking her to her favourite restaurants to open the fast and spoiling her with some diamonds.” They are a girl’s best friend, he says. Every Karva Chauth ornament has been sacrosanct to Chandni, who asserts, “One Karva Chauth Ankit gave me a rose gold tennis bracelet with heart shaped natural diamonds. Another time he gifted me these beautiful diamond and emerald drop earrings.”
Orra
La Marquise
Manohar Lal Jewellers
Mirari
Time Travel
Satish Ramchandani, a finance expert and co-founder of an ESG tech company, recounts similar cherished memories from his courting days with his now-wife Kashish Ramchandani. “Growing up, I remember my mother and aunts fasting for the occasion. So, the first year into our relationship when Kashish told me she was going to fast for me, I just knew I wanted this bond to last for the long haul,” he discloses, reinstating that it’s always the smaller gestures that take up a mammoth place in our hearts. “Times have changed now, and I have never expected Kashish to follow suit as she is a chef and has a busy life too. But spending time together until the run up to the moonrise is what I enjoy the most. Of course, pampering her with some diamond-encrusted surprises never fails,” he laughs. “I love gemstones, and it’s why this gorgeous amethyst pendant flanked by diamonds remains one of my favourite gifts from Satish,” Kashish elaborates.
Gehna Jewellers
House of Umrao
Om Jewellers
Sunita Shekhawat
Bright Like A Diamond
For jeweller Tanishq Gulabani, who remembers dallying with gemstones in his formative years, shares, “It was love at first sight, when I first interacted with a natural diamond.” So, gifting a gorgeous piece of jewellery to the love of his life and now-wife Tanishq Malhotra for their first Karva Chauth celebration in 2022 was a natural step. “I wanted to combine both my passions—my wife and jewellery—for this special occasion,” he reveals.. A natural diamond tennis bracelet seemed like the most precious and pertinent present,” he reveals. “It’s one I will treasure forever,” adds his wife.
Keeping Up With The Traditions
Diamonds have been an exuberant nod to content creator Aiana Jain and banker Amit Jain’s journey too. “My wife is a traditional Punjabi at heart. My fondest memory is of our first Karva Chauth together. I fasted with her and took the day off,” Amit shares. “A very big deal for my workaholic husband,” chuckles Aiana. “He has continued signing off from work before hours and presenting me with anshowering me with unforgettable gifts. From modern diamond jhumkas to a classic gold choker, there are many memorable pieces that I have received as presents from him for the occasion. The beauty of diamonds lies in its versatility—the fact that you can wear them for years to come and with Indian wear just as easily as contemporary outfits in your collection. At the end of the day, it’s not the gift but the sentiment it represents,” she adds.
Anmol
A.S Motiwala Fine Jewellery
AL Anwaar
H. Ajoomal Fine Jewellery
Every Karva Chauth, Shivani and Anuraag have only one plan – to make each other feel special.
Timeless Treasures
Shivani Rana Malhan, a marketing executive who has worked with several renowned jewellers, agrees. “Since a young age, I watched my mother follow Karva Chauth for my dad year after year. While the custom was fascinating as a child, it wasn’t until I kept the fast for my husband, Anuraag, when I understood the significance behind the festival. For me, the whole concept is also about making my partner feel special,” shares Shivani. But her husband and popular actor, Anuraag Malhan didn’t hold back from making her feel loved by indulging her with some gifts. “I know that it wasn’t about the gifts for Shivani, but I truly wanted to spoil her with a solid present. And it can’t get more solid than a diamond, so I chose a diamond ring to pamper her along with a Serpenti watch by Bvlgari because I knew it was always on her wish list,” elaborates Anuraag.
Anmol
Diamondtree
Forevermark
La Marquise
Rose
Whether steeped in age-old traditions or not, Karva Chauth, as we know it, has come a long way. A legacy that will continue for generations is putting your partner first. This may take the form of a personal practice for the pair or may come embedded with a frosting of diamonds. Chokers or chandeliers, demure or dramatic, heart shaped diamonds or timeless solitaires, regardless of the silhouette, size or shape, natural diamonds may be a sparkly microcosm of Karva Chauth but it represents passion and a promise of perpetuity for couples everywhere.
