Greater Noida West : On the Ahoi Ashtami fast, mothers observe Nirjala Fast for their children and worship Ahoi Mata duly on this day. Women and mothers of Greater Noida West observed Ahoi Ashtami fast for the long life and good health of their children.
Childless couples get the happiness of having a child
It is believed that by observing fast on this day, even childless couples get the happiness of having a child. In today’s fast, Syahu Mata is also worshipped along with Ahoi Mata. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival of Ahoi Ashtami is celebrated on the Ashtami date of Krishna Paksha of Kartik month. This fast is observed on the fourth day of Karva Chauth in the month of Kartik and eight days before Diwali.
Amita Sharma, living in Sector 3, said that this puja has great importance in her place. After waking up early in the morning and taking a quick bath, she performed the puja with his daughter-in-law. Wishing for a long life for his son and grandson, she took a pledge to observe Ahoi Ashtami fast. She says, “For the puja, I made the picture of Ahoi Mata and Syahu Mata and her seven children on the wall with ocher. After this, a bowl of rice, radish, water chestnut etc. was placed in front of them and the story of Ahoi Ashtami fast was narrated.”
Manju Sharma, who lives in Ace Aspire, said that while performing puja in the morning, water was kept in the pot and water was poured over it. The Karva used in this should also be the same which is used in Karva Chauth. In the evening we worship Ahoi Mata and Syahu Mata. In this fast, we do not wait for the moon. As soon as the stars start appearing, we conclude our puja by offering Arghya to the stars along with rice from the water of the pot.
Shipra Gupta and Dipika Jain, the residents of Samriddhi Grand Avenue, celebrated this fast together. Both have the same traditions on this day. Shipra has two children for whom she observed the Ahoi Ashtami fast.
According to her, “In our place, people observe Nirjala fast and wear Patdi around their neck, in which Syahu Mata is carved. A lot of fruits are kept in front of Ahoi Mata’s picture, lamps are lit, sweet and salty papdis are made, and two small pitchers are kept filled with water, in which children take bath on Diwali. After the katha is over, children are applied tilak and fruits and papdi are distributed among the children. Two beads are put in the Syahu Mata rosary around the neck. I have two children, so I put four beads. I wear this garland till Diwali.