Ahoi Ashtami is an auspicious day for all those ladies who have the grace of motherhood. This festival is celebrated 8 days before Diwali in Krishna paksha. On this day Goddess Ahoi and Sahu mata are to be worshipped by all the mothers for their child’s happiness and long life.
Mothers will keep a fast for the whole day for their children well being. This is also known as ahoi athhe because it comes on eight days of Krishna paksha. This month comes in ( November-December).
This year it comes on 8 November 2020 at 7: 29 am till 6:50 am. The auspicious time of Pooja for ahoi Ashtami is from 5:37 pm to 6:56 pm. On the day of fasting, after taking a bathe in the morning. Women should take a pledge before stating her fast, to keep herself devoted the whole day to Sahu Mata, and recite her mantras. After keeping a fast for the whole day without any food or water, it would be broken after seeing stars and moon.
Pooja preparation should be finished before sunset. Women draw a picture of ahoi mata on the piece of cloth and draw a picture of Sahu mata with the help of geru and paste that cloth on the wall in the right direction. Some of the few offer silver necklaces to her and those are not capable to offer silver chains they will offer a necklace made up of moli (kalava). Seven children are also to be drawn in that frame, who’s getting a blessing of Sahu Mata.
Everyone has their different way and thesis to celebrate their festival, same as with the jain’s, some of the jain’s do not keep a fast they just offer prayer and food to sahu mata. They keep a fast for the very short term as they believe to give aragh to the sun.
WHY IS TO BE CELEBRATED THIS DAY
Once there lived a joint family in the village they are about 4-5 brothers and their wives, sister, mother, and father. One day that unmarried girl goes to the forest for collecting some soil, she is desperate to get married and suddenly she slipped and unbalanced. The axe in her hand fallen and fell into the Den. The child of Lion a cub killed by that axe. When Lion ger to known her child is killed by her axe, she wanted to curse her that she will never become a mother, never feel the happiness of motherhood. That Girl seek for help and request to not do this with her, she is still unmarried, if is cursed by her, nobody will marry her. Her life is ruined. After listening all of this, the lion said I want to curse either you or someone else. Then her sister-in-law comes forward whom’s has seven sons ready to be cursed by the lion after having seven sons. But she is not awared her seven son will also die, she thought she will not become a mother in the future so that she took that curse on herself. After that curse her seven sons start to die. Now a day comes when she is left alone, she cried at every festival. One day she met with an old lady, she suggests her to help a potter without knowing them, before sunrise she went their home and done with all the cleaning and other miscellinous work of the house hold.
One day that potter in deep thought, who comes to their house for cleaning and helping them. Potter’s wife decided to know the truth, the next day she cought who will done this, and asked why are you doing this. then she told the whole story behind this. potters wife suggests her to going to the old lady who is the incarnation of Sahu Mata. She went to her and fall on her knee to pleased her and start crying and begging, that lady blessed her again with the seven sons.
Again she blessed with seven sons, from that day of Krishna paksha, every eighth day of the lunar moon it is to be celebrated by every mother for her children well being and long life.
May Ahoi mata blessed all the mothers in the world.