Maa Sheetla, revered in Hinduism as the goddess of health and protection, is worshipped to guard against diseases such as smallpox, fevers, and skin ailments. Known for her cooling and healing powers, she ensures the well-being of her devotees and their families. Performing the Maa Sheetla Puja and Hawan is a spiritual act that fosters physical health, environmental purity, and inner harmony. This powerful ritual not only dispels negativity but also invokes Maa Sheetla’s divine grace, creating a peaceful and healthy atmosphere at home.
On Chaitra Krishna Paksha Ashtami, worship and meditation of Sheetla Mata, one of the infinite forms of Mahashakti, has been done since ancient times. For householders, worshiping the mother provides relief from bodily ailments like fever, tuberculosis, infection and other viruses. Pleased with the meditation done on this day, Mother Sheetla blesses to be free from fever, smallpox, leprosy, burning fever, yellow fever, boils and other skin diseases.

Sheetla Saptami:

Sheetla Saptami is a Hindu festival in which fasting and worship of Sheetla Mata is done. This is done in the next week after Holi. Usually the worship of Sheetla Devi starts from the Saptami Tithi of Krishna Paksha of Chaitra month, but at some places her worship is done on the first Monday or Thursday after Holi. The ritual of worshiping Bhagwati Sheetla is also special. A day before Sheetalashtami, stale (बासी) food is prepared as bhog to offer to her, i.e. Basoda. On the day of Ashtami, stale food is dedicated to the goddess as naivedya and later dedicated to the potter and then distributed among the devotees as prasad. For this reason, Sheetalashtami festival is famous as Basoda in the whole of North India. It is believed that after this day, eating stale food is stopped. This is the last day of the season when stale food can be eaten.