Sheetala Saptami is the worship of Goddess Sheetala Maata to protect against Summer Diseases like heatstroke, smallpox, and chickenpox. She is believed to be the cooling and healing Goddess, especially for children. The word "sheetal" in Sanskrit means coolness. So, she is the bestower of Coolness and Relief from ailments.
This is (especially) a women's observance similar to the observances of Varalakshmi Vratam or Gauri Puja. So, you will find only the women and children around these worship places.
Generally, Sheetala Devi is worshiped by her devotees on any Tuesday that falls on the Saptami tithi or an Ashtami tithi of each month.
But the main worship in the form of a Festival takes place on the Seventh Day of Chaitra Shukla Paksha of each year and continues until the end of the Ashtami tithi. It is mostly observed by the people of northern and Western Indian States.
This year, Sheetala Saptami is celebrated on 21st March 2025.
Sheetala worship involves purification, austerity, and meditation.
The devotees treat their Goddess as utterly pure and most powerful. So, they observe strict cleanliness.
- People get up early in the morning and clean their entire homes. Traditionally, they cleaned the floors and the entire compound of their residences with water mixed with cow dung.
- Take bath (preferably oil bath) and wear clean clothes.
- Sanctify the house with neem leaves and turmeric branches.
- Food used to be cooked on the previous night itself to avoid heating of the rooms.
- Sour and hot spices should be avoided when cooking. Only Saatvik food should be prepared and offered to the Goddess before eating.
- Sheetala Maa is worshipped observing a complete fast till evening hours.
- The entire day is spent meditating upon the Goddess, worshiping and offering prayers, etc. Some of the prayers include Shitala Ashtakam, Shitala Chalisa, and Aarati lyrics.
- You can break the fast on completion of the puja in the evening hours and eat the offered food after distributing to other family members and participants.
- Small children and older family members can be served food during the daytime, as they cannot remain without it.
The major points to keep in mind while observing this Sheetala worship are that you should keep complete faith in her healing powers, maintain utter cleanliness, abstain from spicy foods, keep your children clean and hygienic, apply tilak on their foreheads with the worshiped kumkuma of the Goddess and do not indulge in any other entertainments during the entire period of the observance of this fast.
People visit temples and fairs organized for this purpose in their localities after completion of the fast.
