New Delhi: Married Indian men are willing to fast for their wife to celebrate and share the experience together, according to a survey coinciding with Karva Chauth, when mostly Hindu women in north India fast for their husband's long life.
The online poll, by online matrimony platform Shaadi.com, was conducted with 4,920 married and 4,355 single Indian men in the age group of 24 to 36.
When married men were asked ‘If they would fast for their better half’, 62.1 percent of 4,920 of them said ‘Yes’, 17.6 percent said ‘Maybe’ and 20.3 percent said ‘No’.
Asked to specify the reason for fasting, 41.1 percent of them said ‘Want to celebrate and share the experience together’, 32.6 percent said ‘For her long life’, while 26.3 percent said ‘Peer pressure - because others are doing it’.
Gourav Rakshit, CEO, Shaadi.com commented: "Fastforher, an innovative concept by shaadi.com is a social initiative which received phenomenal response last year; encouraging us to further understand men's perspective about age-old traditions and its impact on inter-personal relations with the women in their lives.
"Despite changing times, we believe men and women are using occasions like Karva Chauth to strengthen their relationships based on equality and mutual respect. This survey validates the progressive outlook of today's youth."
As part of the survey, the men were also asked ‘If they understand the concept of Karva Chauth'. As many as 58.8 percent of the married men said ‘Yes’, while 41.2 percent said ‘No’. On the other hand, 47.1 percent single men said ‘Yes’ followed by 52.9 percent who said ‘No’.
When they were asked if they agree with the concept of their wives fasting for them, 61.4 percent of the married men said ‘Yes’, and 38.6 percent said ‘No’. The response was similar among single men, with 53.7 percent of them saying ‘Yes’, and 46.3 percent responding with a ‘No’.
Asked ‘Why do women fast for them on Karva Chauth’, 35.7 percent married men said ‘Husband’s long life’, followed by 34.1 percent of those who said ‘To keep their in-laws happy’, while 30.2 percent of them said ‘It’s just another custom’.
On being posed with the same question, 35.1 percent of single men said ‘For Husband’s long life’, 35.3 percent said ‘To keep their in-laws happy’ and 29.6 percent of them said ‘It’s just another custom’.
Apparently, married men feel the fasting has an impact on their relationship.
For 73.9 percent of the married men, it helps strengthen the relationship; but 26.1 percent don't necessarily believe it impacts the bond.
Karva Chauth falls on Friday this year.
