Curse of Sati Belief: Why Some Women in Mathura Have Avoided Karwa Chauth for Generations

Mathura: In an age of rapid modernisation, centuries-old beliefs and customs continue to shape traditions in several parts of India. In a locality in Surir town of Mathura district, women from Thakur community families reportedly do not observe Karwa Chauth, a fast traditionally associated with a husband’s long life. They also refrain from celebrating Ahoi Ashtami, a festival associated with the well-being and prosperity of children.

According to local accounts, the custom is linked to a centuries-old incident involving a newly married woman who is believed to have cursed the locality after her husband died in a dispute. Although the story remains part of local oral tradition, independent historical evidence confirming the incident has not been established.

A Tragic Incident Behind the Tradition

Elderly residents recount that the incident took place several hundred years ago. A Brahmin man from Ramnagla village in the Naujheel area was reportedly returning home with his newlywed wife in a buffalo cart after visiting her parental home across the Yamuna River.

During the journey, a dispute allegedly broke out over the buffalo in the Bagha locality of Surir. According to the account passed down through generations, the man died during the confrontation.

Grief-stricken by her husband’s death, the woman is said to have cursed the people of the locality before becoming a sati alongside him. Local narratives further claim that several young men subsequently died prematurely and many women were widowed, events that residents came to associate with the curse.

How Did the Belief Become a Lasting Custom?

According to local elders, people of that period attributed the reported deaths to the woman’s curse. A temple dedicated to Sati was subsequently built in the locality, and residents are said to have sought forgiveness.

Local belief holds that the deaths stopped after the temple was established. However, a custom of avoiding Karwa Chauth and Ahoi Ashtami reportedly took root among Thakur families in the area and has continued through successive generations.

The tradition is maintained today by families who continue to hold the belief in reverence for Sati Maiya, alongside a fear of incurring her displeasure. These explanations reflect local religious beliefs rather than independently verified historical findings.

Why Does the Sati Temple Remain Significant?

Residents describe the Sati temple in Surir as an important place of faith. During wedding celebrations, people from different communities reportedly visit the shrine and seek blessings as part of the ghurchadhi procession, in which the groom traditionally rides a horse.

Om Prakash Singh, a resident of the locality, said people have deep faith in Sati Maiya. He claimed that those who attempted to break the longstanding custom had faced adverse consequences, reinforcing the community’s determination to preserve it.

Such accounts illustrate the influence of oral traditions and religious beliefs on local social practices, although the alleged consequences cannot be independently confirmed from the information available.

A Related Custom in Ramnagla Village

The story is also associated with a longstanding practice among some Brahmin families in Ramnagla village, from where the man was reportedly originally from.

According to local accounts, certain families avoid not only eating food in Surir but also drinking water there. They continue to hold people associated with the locality responsible for the historical incident.

Premchand Sharma, a resident of Ramnagla, said members of his community had maintained the practice across generations.

The two traditions demonstrate how a story passed down over centuries can continue to influence religious observances, community relationships and everyday customs in different areas. However, the historical details underlying these beliefs remain unverified.