The celebration of Sheetala Ashtami is bring held on March 11 in many of the northern and western regions of India. The festival also known as Basoda or Basiyaura is in honour of the Goddess Sheetala, who is said to protect her followers from illness and provide for their wellbeing during difficult times.
The festival of Sheetala Ashtami is an important spiritual event for worshippers who believe that the Goddess Sheetala has both curative and protective qualities against various illnesses, including smallpox. The term Sheetala derives from the Sanskrit word that translates as “one who cools”, which connects to the cool nature of the goddess and her ability to heal.
Devotees do not cook food for the festival. They prepare all of their offerings for the festival the day before, or on Saptami. After that, on the day of the festival (the next day from when they prepared), they present cold, cooked offerings at the puja to the goddess. Some foods commonly designated as offerings are traditional and include sweets made with jaggery (like gujiya), doughnut-shaped foods (like gulgule), and kheer among other traditional dishes.
The day begins with an early morning ceremonial bathing ritual. Ceremonial bathing for many is performed in a river or by mixing Gangajal into their normal bath water. The followers then clean their worship area and sprinkle water on it in preparation for the ceremonies.
A special diya for worship is prepared out of flour, and is not lit. According to tradition, the goddess has a preference for her things to remain cool. The prepared stale food is then offered to Goddess Sheetala during the prayer ceremony.
Many regions observe the festival of Sheetala Ashtami, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and some regions of Madhya Pradesh. On this occasion, many temples to the goddess are filled with crowds of worshippers.
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