Sheetla Ashtami, or Basoda, is a celebration that is largely embraced in Northern India, especially in states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Delhi. It is also known as Sheetala Jayanti amongst her devotees. The festival is believed to be celebrated in the worship of Goddess Sheetla who guards devotees against infectious diseases such as smallpox and measles. The festival has healthy traditions that maintain spiritual welfare.
In 2025, Sheetla Ashtami will be celebrated on Saturday March 22. As per the Hindu Panchang calendar, the Ashtami tithi will begin on March 22 at 4:23 AM and end on March 23 at 5:23 AM. According to devotees, the best time for puja is around 6:20 AM to 6:30 PM on March 22, a time when worshippers attend temples and indulge in different prayers and rituals for the goddess.
Significance of Sheetla Ashtami
This day is popularly referred to as Basoda, which translates to mean ‘stale food’. An interesting practice that forms part of this festival is the ritual of abstaining from cooking fresh meals throughout today. Instead, devotees eat food prepared a day or two before for it is believed that Sheetla Mata, the goddess of coolness and health, favors cold or stale offerings. This act reinforces the measure of self-discipline and devotion to the Goddess while showing the need for hygiene and food preservation.
Goddess Sheetla Mata is believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Durga and revered as one who prevents and cures epidemics. She is particularly known for her healing abilities concerning smallpox, measles, and other contagious diseases. It is believed that worshiping her aids in achieving prosperity, better health, and well-being. The observance of Sheetla Ashtami agrees with the seasonal change between winter and summer, and strengthening the need for health and purification rituals during disease-prone seasons.
Regional Celebration of Basoda
Although northern parts of India celebrate Sheetla Ashtami, various states have their unique practices for the festival.
In Rajasthan, the festival is celebrated with exuberance, particularly in the rural parts of the state. Special fairs and cultural festivals are arranged in honor of Sheetla Mata where people come to offer their prayers. Devotees prepare and offer bal mithai, Gulgule, Roti, Poori, Ker-Sangri, Malpua, Karva, and Rabdi as part of ritualistic devotion. These delicacies are made a day prior and have to be consumed as part of the rituals.
The Shitala Ashtami festival takes place in Madhya Pradesh, where one of the biggest fairs accompanies the festival at the Sheetla Mata Shakti Dham. Many pilgrims and tourists travel from far and wide to visit the site and seek blessings from the goddess. Community prayers and kirtans are performed throughout the day as well.
In Gujarat, prayers are offered to Sheetla Mata with utmost dedication. Following the prayers, special all-time favorite foods are prepared as bhog and later served as prasad to the visitors.
Traditional Food Offerings on Sheetla Ashtami
As cooking is prohibited on the day, all meals are prepped a day in advance. Basoda traditional dishes include:
- Gulgule: Fried sweet dumplings made from wheat flour and ghee.
- Malpua: A sweet pancake served after returning to Western Asia.
- Poori: Bread that is deep-fried, commonly served with curd.
- Ker-Sangri: Dish made with dried beans and berries, specialty to Rajasthan.
- Rabdi: Sweet dessert made of condensed milk.
- Sweet Chilla: Jaggery and wheat flour pancake.
Once the food is offered to Sheetla Mata, devotees eat it and take it as a part of the tradition.
The Legend of Sheetla Mata (Basoda Vrat Katha)
On this day, devotees read The Basoda Vrat Katha, which tells the story of how Goddess Sheetla divinely cares for Shitala Mata, the goddess of medicine, so that epidemics do not break out.
Skanda Purana provides the historical foundation for the legend of Goddess Shitala. According to their belief, she came out of a sacrificial fire and had received a kind boon from Lord Brahma. As long as she possessed the seeds of urad dal (black gram lentils), Lord Brahma promised her eternal worship. The seeds later metamorphosed into not-so-good germs, and every time the goddess came down to Earth, the people began to suffer from smallpox and fever.
When Shital Mata came into the Earth realm, her first stop was King Birat’s realm. This was the first time she intended to unleash destruction on a god believer, but the king, an ardent follower of Lord Shiva, stopped her from enabling her poxes of wrath and gave her a supreme temple instead. Seeing this deeply angered Sheetla Mata, and she unleashed seventy-five ferocious poxes, which devastated the kingdom. Numerous diseases plagued the kingdom, resulting in many individuals losing their lives.
King Birat soon realized his terrible mistake, asked for forgiveness and worshipped the goddess. After Shital Mata accepted his apologies, she blessed everyone with excellent health. In this, they had hope and a new tradition was born where the people of the kingdom provided stale food to Shital Mata with the promise to stay free from diseases. As the legend tells, this is the reason the Basoda fast is so highly regarded.
The Iconography of Sheetla Mata
Her portrayal is unique in that she rides a donkey, an animal signifying hard work and modesty. While riding, Sheetla Mata holds a broom, which suggests removing dirt and harmful diseases. She also carries a winnowing fan, symbolizing the process of cleansing, particularly when grains separate from their chaff.
In one illustration, Sheetla Mata holds a pot of cold water, which emphasizes her shielding attribute to extermination from diseases. A garland of neem leaves adorns her head, a plant well known in the world of medicine. This points toward the depletion of ancient cures for the effects of ailments and the growth of medicine.
Connection with Health and Significance of the Festival
Like other festivals, the celebration of Sheetla Ashtami is noteworthy not only for its religious significance. Another underlying aspect of its observance is the notion of health, hygiene, and averting illness. This celebratory date occurs at the turn of the season from winter to summer, associated with an increase of viral infections and fevers. As a custom health practice, the festival calls for particularly clean environments, simple pre-cooked consumables, and prayers to the divine for protection from illness.
Besides that, Sheetla Mata’s worship fosters a strong focus on self healing. It is believed that using neem leaves, cold water, and fasting detoxifies the body and enhances its defensive capabilities. Consequently, the science behind the observance rituals during this holiday corresponds with wellness principles.
Sheetla Ashtami is not only a religious occasion but also serves as a reminder that we celebrate a day of health, sanitation, and heavenly aid. By adhering to the rituals and traditions of this date, the devotees believe they invite the blessings of Goddess Sheetla to watch over them and their families against diseases.
In 2025, Basoda requires us to follow the traditions of cleanliness, religion, and culture. The festival serves as the manifestation of belief in the protective power of the divine and an everlasting wish for healthful well-being.
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