Festival · 2027

Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) 2027 — Tuesday, 30 March 2027

Sheetala Ashtami, or Basoda, is the day of Sheetala Mata, the cooling mother goddess, when many households light no stove and eat food cooked the day before.

In 2026

Wednesday, 11 March 2026

Tithi: Krishna Ashtami: 11 Mar, 1:54 AM – 12 Mar, 4:20 AM
Lunar month: Chaitra (purnimanta) / Phalguna (amanta)
Sunrise / sunset: 6:35 AM / 6:27 PM

Rule: Chaitra Krishna Ashtami (Phalguna in the amanta reckoning) at sunrise.

In 2027

Tuesday, 30 March 2027

Tithi: Krishna Ashtami: 29 Mar, 5:11 PM – 30 Mar, 7:40 PM
Lunar month: Chaitra (purnimanta) / Phalguna (amanta)
Sunrise / sunset: 6:14 AM / 6:37 PM

Rule: Chaitra Krishna Ashtami (Phalguna in the amanta reckoning) at sunrise.

Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar

What is Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda)?

Sheetala Ashtami falls on the Ashtami, the eighth tithi, of the dark fortnight after Holi, about a week after the festival of colours. It is dedicated to Sheetala Mata, whose name means the cool one. She is a mother goddess worshipped widely in north and west India, and for centuries families have prayed to her for the health of their children, especially at the turn of the seasons, when fevers and illnesses with rashes were once common.

The day is popularly called Basoda, from basi, food kept from the day before. On the eve, the Saptami, the women of the house cook the offerings and the family’s meals: sweet rice, puri, pua, rabri, curd dishes and other foods that keep well. On the Ashtami morning these are offered cold to the goddess and then eaten by the family, and in many homes the stove is not lit for the whole day. Tradition explains this as a way of keeping the goddess, and the household, cool.

Sheetala Mata is traditionally shown riding a donkey, holding a broom, a winnowing fan and a pot of cool water, and sometimes neem leaves. These are simple household things, and they have often been read as signs of cleanliness, of sweeping away illness and of cooling relief. A hymn to her, the Sheetalashtakam, is traditionally attributed to the Skanda Purana and is recited by many devotees on this day.

The festival sits at the point where winter gives way to the heat of summer, and many see in it an old seasonal wisdom: a day of rest from the fire, of cool and simple food, and of attention to cleanliness and the health of children. Today, many families keep it above all as a day of devotion to the mother goddess and of shared food, with visits to her temples, which are especially crowded in Rajasthan and Haryana.

How it is observed

On the Saptami, cooking the next day’s offerings and meals: sweet rice, puri, pua, rabri and curd dishes.
On the Ashtami morning, bathing and offering the cold food, water, turmeric, roli and flowers to Sheetala Mata at home or at her temple.
Not lighting the stove for the day in many households, and eating only the food made the day before.
Reciting the Sheetalashtakam or listening to the Sheetala Mata katha.
Pouring water at the foot of the goddess’s image or a neem tree, and touching the eyes with a little of the offered water, as many families do.
Sharing the basi food with neighbours and relatives, and giving some to those in need.

How the date is fixed

Sheetala Ashtami is the Ashtami of the dark fortnight after the Phalguna full Moon. North Indian (purnimanta) calendars call it Chaitra Krishna Ashtami, and amanta calendars call the same tithi Phalguna Krishna Ashtami. Our calendar keeps it on the day the Ashtami holds at sunrise, since the offering of the cold food is made in the morning, and the food itself is cooked on the day before. If the Ashtami touches no sunrise at all, the day it begins is taken. The date and the span of the tithi above are worked out this way for your place.

Where practice differs

Basoda is kept most widely in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. In Rajasthan, the Sheetala Mata fair at Chaksu near Jaipur draws large crowds, and in Haryana the Sheetala Mata temple in Gurugram is thronged through this season. Many families keep the observance on the Saptami instead, as Sheetala Saptami, following their own custom, and some keep both days. In Gujarat the main Sheetala observance is Sheetala Satam in the month of Shravana, the day after Randhan Chhath, when the cooking is done in advance in the same way. In Bengal and Odisha the goddess is worshipped on other occasions of the year as well.

Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.

Questions people ask

Why is stale food eaten on Sheetala Ashtami?

The food is not spoiled; it is cooked fresh on the day before and kept for the offering. Tradition holds that the goddess, whose name means the cool one, is offered cool food, and the stove is rested for the day. Many also see in it a seasonal habit of simple, cool meals as summer begins.

Is Sheetala Ashtami the same as Basoda?

Yes. Basoda is the popular name, from basi, food kept from the day before. Some families keep the same observance on the Saptami and call it Sheetala Saptami.

What time is the Sheetala Ashtami puja?

In the morning, after bathing, on the day the Ashtami holds at sunrise. The date and the span of the Ashtami for your place are shown above.

How many days after Holi is Sheetala Ashtami?

It falls on the eighth tithi after the Phalguna full Moon, so usually about a week after the day colours are played in the north.