Astrology News Desk: Many fasting festivals are held in Sanatan Dharma and everyone has its own importance but Sheetla Ashtami is considered very special, which is dedicated to the worship of Mata Sheetla. According to the Panchang, every year the fast of Sheetla Ashtami is worshiped on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha of Chaitra month.
On this day, devotees duly worship Mata Sheetla and keep fast etc. According to religious beliefs, worshiping Mata Sheetla gives a boon of health and gets rid of mental troubles.
This year, Sheetla Ashtami Puja is being done on 22 March, on Saturday i.e. today, during the worship of Mata Sheetla, recite her fast story, it is believed that the worship is considered successful from reading this story and the children also get the boon of progress.
Sheetla Ashtami fast story
According to the legend of Sheetla Ashtami, there were two sons in a Brahmin family, whose two daughters -in -law came home after their marriage. After some time, both daughters gave birth to a son. In the same year, the festival of Sheetla Ashtami came, when it is forbidden to take stale food and burn the stove. Both of those daughters -in -law thought that they and their children should not fall ill after having stale food on the day of Sheetla Ashtami. In this concern, he secretly made two bats to eat and hid them in an animal vessel.
Then both of them went to the temple of Sheetla Mata with their mother -in -law, worshiped and came back home after hearing the story of Sheetla Mata. Mother -in -law started to worship Mata, while the two daughters -in -law reached the animals by pretending to cry for the children. From there he took out the baati hidden in the pot and ate it. After some time, the mother -in -law called the two daughters -in -law to eat after finishing the hymn. Then both of them had cold food and got engaged in other household functions. After some time, the mother -in -law said that the children have been sleeping for a long time, feed them and put them to sleep again.
When both daughters -in -law went to pick up the children, they saw that both of their bodies were cold. This was the result of Shitala Mata’s anger. Both daughters -in -law got nervous and fearfully told their mother -in -law. The mother -in -law heard and said, ‘Both of you have broken the rules of the fast of Sheetla Mata and disregarded them.’ Angry, the mother -in -law expelled both of them from the house and said, ‘You both come back to the children as a healthy as before.’
Both daughters -in -law left from there and reached under a Khejdi tree, where two sisters named Sheetla and Ori were sitting. Both of them had gambling in their hair. Both daughters -in -law sat there and started extracting gambling from Sheetla and Eori’s hair, which gave them relief. Sheetla and Ormer thanked, ‘Just as you have given us relief by taking out the gambling from our hair, you get peace and happiness of the stomach.’
On this, both daughters -in -law started saying, “We are wandering in search of stomach peace, but till now Shitala Mata has not been seen.” Sheetla Mata replied, “Both of you have committed sin by eating hot food on the day of Sheetla Ashtami.” On hearing this, both the daughters -in -law recognized Sheetla Mata. She immediately began to apologize for her mistake and said, ‘From now on we will never make such a mistake.’ Hearing her words, Sheetla Mata became pleased and by her grace, both of them made the children alive.
Both daughters-in-law happily returned to the village with their children. He told his mother -in -law the whole incident and described the philosophy of Shitala Mata. Hearing this, a wave of happiness ran throughout the village. The villagers announced that they would build a temple of Sheetla Mata in the village, so that the mother’s grace remains on the entire village.
