Sheetala Ashtami is a Hindu festival that is celebrated after the festival of colours, Holi, in the Hindu month of Chaitra. According to a Hindu calendar, Goddess Sheetala is worshipped on the eighth day of Krishna Paksha (the waning moon) of this month. Sheetala Ashtami is more popular in North Indian states like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Sheetala Ashtami 2022: Date and Shubh Muhurat
According to drikpanchang, Sheetala Ashtami will be observed on March 25, 2022.
Sheetala Ashtami Puja Muhurat: 6:20 am to 6:35 pm
Duration of the muhurat: 12 hours and 15 minutes
Ashtami Tithi begins at 12:09 am on March 25, 2022
Ashtami Tithi ends at 10:04 pm on March 25, 2022
Sheetala Ashtami 2022: Why stale food is offered to Mata Sheetala on this day?
On this day, stale food is offered to Mata Sheetala and this is the reason this festival is also known as Basoda in some parts of the country. As per the beliefs, a prasad of halwa and poori is prepared for Sheetala Mata on the seventh day, i.e. a day before the festival. But the question arises why stale food is offered to Sheetala Mata on this day?
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According to religious beliefs, It is generally observed that pure and freshly cooked food is offered during any puja. But stale food is offered to Sheetala Mata on this occasion because it is said that Mata Sheetala loves to eat stale food. This is the reason why devotees also have stale food as prasad on the day of Sheetala Ashtami. On the day of Ashtami, the stove is not lit in the houses and it is customary to have only the food prepared at night prior to that day.
Sheetala Ashtami 2022: Significance
Mata Sheetala, who is considered a form of Maa Durga, is worshipped with rituals on this day. Some mothers also fast on this day in order to ensure that their children live a long and healthy life. Sheetala Mata is revered in the Skanda Purana as the goddess who protects people from contagious diseases such as smallpox, measles, and cholera. It is stated that on this day, children avoid seasonal diseases by eating stale food and feeding a black dog.
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