Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) 2027

Puja Vidhi

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Mothers: Mothers observe this day to protect their children from illness, especially pox and fevers, and to seek the health and long life of their families.
• Families Seeking Health: Households who wish to be free from infectious diseases (Rog Mukti) and keep the home safe in the coming summer season worship Sheetala Mata on this day.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Day Before (Cooking): All food for the day is prepared the previous evening, and the hearth is not lit on this day.
• Morning Puja: The puja to Sheetala Mata is done early in the morning, after the bath, in the hours after sunrise. Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Taking the Prasad: The cool, stale food (Basoda) is offered first and then eaten by the family during the day.

About the Festival

Sheetala Ashtami, also known as Basoda, is a deeply revered observance across North India in which families worship Goddess Sheetala and eat food cooked the day before. It takes place on the Ashtami (eighth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Chaitra.

The Vrat Katha (Story of Sheetala Mata)

Once upon a time, Goddess Sheetala, the cool and healing mother, came down to a village to see whether her devotees worshipped her. She took the form of a frail old woman, with a body full of pox and heat, and walked from door to door.

At one house, a woman poured hot rice-water on her, thinking nothing of the guest. The old woman's body was scorched with burns, and she cried out in pain. Soon after, the whole village was burnt by a fever, and only the house of a potter's wife was spared.

The potter's wife had given the old woman cool curd and cooked rabri from the day before, and had applied cool curd to her burns. The Goddess revealed her true form and blessed her, advising: "Do not light the hearth on this day. Eat cool food cooked the day before, and worship me with faith. I will protect your children from fevers and disease."

The villagers repented and prayed to the Goddess with sincere devotion. Pleased with them, Sheetala Mata healed the village and removed their suffering. Since that day, families have observed Sheetala Ashtami and eaten cool, stale food to seek her protection.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the morning puja:

• Image / Idol: Picture or idol of Sheetala Mata
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Haldi, Kumkum, and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Lamps & Lights: A brass or clay Diya with Ghee and cotton wick
• Cooling Items: A Kalash of cool water, curd, and a bowl of water for the offering
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Food cooked the previous day, such as Puri, Pua, Rabri, Halwa, curd rice, and boiled rice or Bajra
• Devotional Accessories: Flowers, sacred thread (kalava), and a Thali for the offering

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up early during Brahma Muhurta, bathe with cool water, and wear clean, auspicious clothes.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Divine Mother Sheetala, today I worship you with devotion. Protect my children and my family from sickness and grant us health and peace."
3. Do not light the hearth on this day. Eat only the food prepared on the previous day.

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Altar

1. Clean the northeastern corner (Ishan Kone) of your home or the place of worship.
2. Place the picture or idol of Sheetala Mata on a wooden stool (Chowki) covered with a clean cloth.
3. Place a Kalash filled with cool water near the Goddess and keep the Thali with the cooked food ready.

Step 3: Performing the Puja

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya and place it before Sheetala Mata.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli, Haldi, and Akshat to the image of the Goddess.
3. Offering Water & Flowers: Offer cool water and fresh flowers, and tie a piece of Kalava around the Kalash.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place the stale food, curd, and sweets before the Goddess.

Step 4: Reciting the Vrat Katha

1. Hold a few grains of rice and a few flower petals in your right hand.
2. Sit respectfully in front of the altar and recite or listen to the Sheetala Mata Vrat Katha with deep focus and devotion.
3. After completing the story, offer the grains at the feet of the Goddess.

Step 5: Aarti and Blessings of the Goddess

1. Perform the Sheetala Mata Aarti using the lit Ghee lamp while singing devotional hymns.
2. Sprinkle a little of the cool water from the Kalash on the family members, praying for health and protection.
3. Bow before the Goddess and pray for the wellbeing of your children.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Sharing the Prasad

1. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Distribute the cool Basoda food as prasad among your family members and children.
3. Eat the stale, cool food as the meal of the day and avoid cooking fresh food until the next day.