Dr. Chand Trehan and Karva Chauth

look at the beautiful pattern a boy made with mehandi! wearing  several red glass bangles was also a ritual.

visiting Bansi mandir at gandhi Nagar in Jammu

women decorating palms with different patterns with mehandi

I have also decorated my palms to get ready for tomorrow's karva chauth, a hindu festival for women

I spend 2 nights with Dr. Chand. Colonel Trehan and Chand live in a beautiful location in Jammu.  I met his father and mother. Chand, after dinner, took me to the market place. The market did not have any place without women with their husbands,very patiently waiting for putting Mahandi on their hands and legs. I felt very happy to join the celebrations. I also put mehandi on both hands.  Small chlildren  were very good in putting mehandi. Women also put red or brown bangles in their hands. Chand bought red bangles for me. We also visited a temple near the market place.  Karva chauth is celebrated on behalf of the long life of husbands. Mother in law gives  new dresses, ornaments, make up things like sindur, bindi, bangles, red ribbon, kajal, mehandi, lipstick, nail polish, sweet pudding made out Samia or feni,the Karva which is a small mud pot, and dry fruits all together known as 'Sargi' in a broad vessel called Thali to the daughter in law. The daughter in law has to eat sweet pudding after shower, before sunrise, on the Karva chauth day. Then daughter in law has to give similar thali to the mother in law.Tomorrow all married women in this state will be fasting from 6 am to 6 pm and celebrating Karvachauth. I saw husbands patienly waiting for
their wives to finish the mehandi decoration to go back to their houses. Mehandi mela will be continuing throughout the night. I really enjoyed the night.

 Chand also took me to a Gurudwara. We sat there until 10 pm. Guru was taken to the bed to sleep.  I realised that the Guru was the holy book itself rather than the person. Sikhs do not belive in idol worship. I got prasada from the gurudwara. The experience was very unique.

Later at 10 30 pm, I came to Sarita's house. Today was a very good day. Thanks to Dr. Chand and her husband!