Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) 2027 – The Cold-Food Festival of Shitala Mata
शीतला अष्टमी (बसौड़ा)
When is Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) in 2027?
Sheetala Ashtami, also called Basoda, falls on Tuesday, 30 March 2027. It is observed on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight of Chaitra, roughly a week after Holi, to honour Shitala Mata, the goddess who cools fevers and guards against pox. Its signature custom is eating only cold food cooked the previous day, with no fresh fire lit on the festival morning.
Sheetala Ashtami, widely known as Basoda, is a one-day festival for Shitala Mata, the folk goddess believed to cure and prevent smallpox, chickenpox, measles and heat-borne fevers. It falls on the Ashtami of Chaitra’s dark fortnight, about a week after Holi, as north India shifts from cool spring into summer. The day’s defining rule is simple and unusual: no cooking fire is lit. Families eat basi (day-old) food prepared the evening before and offer the same cold fare to the goddess, a practice that gives the festival its Hindi name, Basoda.
Sheetala Ashtami 2026-2028: Dates & Calendar
The next Sheetala Ashtami is on Tuesday, 30 March 2027. Because it is tied to the lunar tithi of Chaitra Krishna Paksha, the Gregorian date shifts each year, usually landing in March or early April.
| Year | Date | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 March | Wednesday | Already observed |
| 2027 | 30 March | Tuesday | Next occurrence |
| 2028 | 17 March | Friday | Chaitra Krishna Ashtami |
Many households in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh observe the fast a day earlier on Sheetala Saptami; in 2027 the Saptami falls on Sunday, 28 March. Both days share the same cold-food rule.
Why Sheetala Ashtami Is Celebrated
Sheetala Ashtami is celebrated to seek Shitala Mata’s protection from pox, fever and the illnesses that spread as the weather turns hot. The name Sheetala means the one who cools, and the whole day is built around cooling the body and the home.
The timing is deliberate. Coming just after Holi, the festival marks the last day of the season when food cooked the previous evening was traditionally safe to eat. From here the heat climbs, bacteria multiply faster, and freshly cooked meals become a daily necessity. Basoda quietly draws a line under the cold-storage habits of winter.
The cooling goddess
Shitala Mata is invoked to keep the body cool and free of fever. Communities worship her both to recover from pox and to prevent outbreaks, treating her equally as the bringer and the healer of these ailments.
Why cold food, or Basoda
No fresh fire is lit on Ashtami morning. Food is cooked on Saptami evening and eaten cold the next day, so the hearth stays quiet. Offering the goddess this basi food is a gesture of restraint and respect for her cooling nature.
Health woven into faith
The custom coincides with the spring-to-summer change, a period of high microbial activity. Eating only day-old food on this last permitted day, then returning to fresh cooking afterwards, encodes practical seasonal hygiene inside a devotional ritual.
The Chaksu Lakkhi Mela
The largest gathering is at the Shitala Mata temple on the Seel-Ki-Doongri hill in Chaksu, about 70 km south of Jaipur. A two-day Lakkhi fair (a fair said to draw lakhs) fills the town, with pilgrims climbing to the hilltop shrine for the goddess’s darshan.
Deities & Figures Worshipped
The festival centres entirely on Shitala Mata, a folk mother goddess linked in tradition to the wider Durga and Devi family. Her imagery is instantly recognisable.
Shitala Mata
Depicted as a maiden riding a donkey, Shitala Mata is usually shown with four hands carrying a short broom, a winnowing fan, a small bowl or pot, and neem leaves. The broom sweeps away disease, the pot holds cooling water, the winnow scatters her power, and neem, long used against pox, marks her as a healer. She is dressed in red and worshipped chiefly by women.
Key Rituals, Step by Step
The observance runs across two days: cooking on Saptami evening, then worship and cold food on Ashtami.
- Cook a day ahead. On Sheetala Saptami evening, families prepare all the food for the festival, since nothing will be cooked the next day.
- Extinguish the hearth. No fresh fire is lit on Ashtami morning. The stove is cleaned and left unused, symbolising the cooling the goddess represents.
- Rise early and bathe. Devotees, mostly women, take an early bath and wear clean clothes before beginning the puja.
- Offer cold food to the goddess. The basi food cooked the previous night is offered to Shitala Mata along with water, curd, roli, rice and a diya (kept unlit or lit from an existing flame).
- Perform the puja and aarti. The goddess is worshipped at home or at a local Shitala shrine, followed by aarti and prayers for the family’s health.
- Listen to the Sheetala katha. The traditional story of Shitala Mata is read or narrated, recalling how she protects devotees from disease.
- Eat the same cold meal. The family shares the day-old prasad, keeping the no-fire rule for the whole day.
- Visit the temple or fair. Where possible, devotees travel to a Shitala temple, with the Chaksu fair near Jaipur drawing the biggest crowds.
Special Foods of Sheetala Ashtami
Every dish is cooked on Saptami evening and eaten cold the next day, so the menu favours foods that keep and taste good at room temperature.
Rabri
Thickened, sweetened milk cooked down the night before and served chilled, a Basoda favourite in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Curd rice
Rice mixed with curd, mild, cooling and safe to eat cold, making it one of the most common Basoda dishes.
Meethe chawal
Sweet rice cooked with jaggery or sugar the previous evening and eaten cold as prasad.
Bajra roti
Millet flatbreads made in advance and paired with curd or vegetables, sturdy enough to hold overnight.
Puri and dry sabzi
Fried puris with dry potato or gourd curries that stay palatable cold, often carried to the temple as offerings.
Curd and buttermilk
Plain curd, buttermilk and other cooling dairy accompany almost every Basoda meal to soothe the body against rising heat.
Regional Names & Variations
Basoda is strongest across north and western India, with the day of observance shifting between Saptami and Ashtami depending on local custom.
Rajasthan
The heartland of the festival. The Chaksu Lakkhi Mela near Jaipur is the largest gathering, and many families keep the fast on Sheetala Saptami rather than Ashtami.
Uttar Pradesh
Widely observed as Basoda, with cold rabri, puris and sweet rice offered at neighbourhood Shitala shrines. Braj and eastern UP hold local fairs.
Gujarat
Marked as Shitala Satam, generally observed a day later than the north Indian Saptami reckoning, with women keeping the no-cooking vow and offering cold food.
Madhya Pradesh & Haryana
Celebrated across central India and the Delhi belt, where the goddess is petitioned for children’s health and protection from pox and heat illness.
Sheetala Ashtami Do's and Don'ts
The customs turn on a single idea: keep everything cool and avoid fresh fire.
Do
- Cook all the festival food a day earlier, on Saptami evening.
- Offer cold, day-old food and water to Shitala Mata before eating.
- Take an early bath and wear clean clothes for the puja.
- Read or listen to the Sheetala Mata katha with the family.
- Keep the home and kitchen clean, reflecting the goddess’s link to hygiene.
Avoid
- Do not light a fresh cooking fire or prepare hot food on Ashtami.
- Do not eat freshly cooked or reheated dishes on the festival day.
- Do not skip offering the cold prasad to the goddess first.
- Do not eat before completing the morning puja if you are keeping the vow.
- Do not treat the practice as a rule for the whole year; from the next day, fresh food is preferred as the heat rises.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) in 2027?
Sheetala Ashtami, also called Basoda, falls on Tuesday, 30 March 2027. It is observed on the Ashtami (eighth day) of the dark fortnight of Chaitra, about a week after Holi. Many families in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh keep the fast a day earlier on Sheetala Saptami, 28 March 2027.
When is Sheetala Ashtami in 2026 and 2028?
Sheetala Ashtami was observed on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, and will next fall on Friday, 17 March 2028. The date shifts each year because it is set by the lunar tithi of Chaitra Krishna Paksha rather than a fixed Gregorian date.
Why is Sheetala Ashtami celebrated?
Sheetala Ashtami is celebrated to seek Shitala Mata’s protection from smallpox, chickenpox, measles and heat-related fevers. Falling just after Holi, it marks the last day of the season when food cooked the previous evening is considered safe to eat, blending seasonal hygiene with devotion to the cooling goddess.
Which goddess is worshipped on Basoda?
Shitala Mata, the goddess who cools fevers and guards against pox, is worshipped on Basoda. She is shown riding a donkey and holding a broom, a winnowing fan, a pot of cooling water and neem leaves, and is worshipped chiefly by women for the family’s health.
Why is only cold food eaten on Sheetala Ashtami?
Only cold, day-old food is eaten on Sheetala Ashtami because no fresh cooking fire is lit that day, honouring the goddess’s cooling nature. Food is prepared on Saptami evening and eaten cold the next day, a custom that also marks the last day of the season when overnight food is safe before the summer heat sets in.
What food is offered and eaten on Basoda?
Basoda food is cooked the previous evening and served cold, including rabri, curd rice, sweet rice, bajra roti, puris with dry vegetables, and plenty of curd and buttermilk. The same cold food is first offered to Shitala Mata and then shared by the family as prasad.
Where is the biggest Sheetala Ashtami fair held?
The largest Sheetala Ashtami fair is the two-day Lakkhi Mela at the Shitala Mata temple on Seel-Ki-Doongri hill in Chaksu, about 70 km south of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Lakhs of pilgrims climb to the hilltop shrine over the festival for the goddess’s darshan.
How is Sheetala Ashtami different from Masani Mela?
Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) is the pan-north-Indian festival of Shitala Mata built around cold food and no fresh fire, held on Chaitra Krishna Ashtami. The Masani Mela is a specific fair for the same goddess at Gurugram in Haryana; the festival and that fair honour Shitala Mata but are observed separately.
May Shitala Mata keep your home cool, healthy and free from fever this Basoda. Jai Shitala Mata.