Sheetala Ashtami

Sheetala Ashtami is recognised as an important festival of North Indian Hindus. It will be conducted after the celebration of Holi. Sheetala Ashtami celebrates in Krishna Paksha of Chaitra month. Devotees conduct fasting and worship the goddess. Sheetala Ashtami is also known as Basoda Puja. During that day, devotees wake up early in the morning and take a bath. After that, they visit Sheetala Mata temples. As part of the tradition, people worship the goddess with Haldi and Bajra. After Puja, they listen to Basoda Vrat Katha. A unique custom from other festivals is on the day of Sheetala Ashtami, devotees are offering stale food to goddesses and the rest of the food is eaten by devotees as Prasad. It is known as Basoda. Other essential items such as curd, rabri, gur are the offerings to the goddess Sheetala Mata. Devotee conducts fasting to get rid off from all the negative energies and yet devotees are reading Sheetalashtak on this auspicious day. The belief is that Sheetala Mata is the form of goddess Durga. By worshipping Sheetala Mata, encourages a person about cleanliness and hygiene.