There lived a charitable woman in a village long ago. She had seven sons and was very fond of them. With the festival of Diwali near, she made up her mind to adorn her house and make the environment clean.
One day, she visited the woods to take soil for repairing her home. While digging soil close to a burrow, she inadvertently killed an infant of a lion (or sometimes, in other stories, of a hedgehog). Seeing what she had done, she felt intensely regretful and begged for forgiveness.
But shortly after this experience, all seven of her sons began to die one by one. The woman and her husband were devastated and decided to go in search of the cause of their tragedy. They went to sages and seers, who explained to her that the death resulted from the curse of the baby animal she had killed unwittingly.
The woman felt remorse very deeply and began keeping fasts and prayers for her forgiveness. She began worshiping Ahoi Mata—the mother goddess of child protection.
She painted the figure of Ahoi Mata on the wall, as well as the portrait of her sons and stars. She observed a strict fast from dawn till dusk every year on Ahoi Ashtami, praying and lighting a diya (lamp) before the figure.
With time, the goddess was satisfied with her dedication and blessed her—reviving the lives of her sons and shielding them from all future harm. From then on, mothers started following Ahoi Ashtami Vrat annually, seeking long life, well-being, and good fortune for their children.
Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Significance
- The vrat is celebrated eight days prior to Diwali, on the Ashtami (the eighth day) of Krishna Paksha in Kartik month.
- Women remain fasting from morning till the emergence of stars and offer prayers for the well-being and longevity of their children.
- The puja is done in the night, and Ahoi Mata Katha is read before the fast is broken after observing the stars.
Ahoi Mata Puja Mantra
“Ahoi Maiya meri sudh le, putron ko vardaan de, sukh-sampatti se bhara ghar de.”
That’s the Ahoi Ashtami Katha. . .
