[
Ahoi Ashtami 2024: Ahoi Ashtami fast is observed every year on Ashtami Tithi of Krishna Paksha of Kartik month (Kartik Month 2024). This fast comes 4 days after Karva Chauth and 8 days before Diwali. On this day, mothers observe fast for the long life and prosperity of their children.
During this fast, mothers fast and break the fast by looking at the stars in the evening. On the day of Ahoi Ashtami, the fast is broken by offering Arghya to the stars. Women with daughters observe this fast with the wish of long life and happy life of their children. This fast is observed in the Krishna Paksha on the Ashtami date of Kartik month, hence it is also known as Ahoi Ashtami. Know the fasting story of Ahoi Ashtami.
Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Katha
There used to be a moneylender in a city. He had seven sons, seven daughters-in-law and one daughter. Before Diwali, on Kartik Badi Ashtami, the seven daughters-in-law along with their only son-in-law went to the forest to collect soil. From where she was digging soil. The den of Syau-Sehe was there only. While digging soil, Sehi’s child died at the hands of her sister-in-law.
Sayu Mata said – Now I will bind your womb.
Then the sister-in-law said to her seven sisters-in-law that one of you should get your womb tied in place of me. All the sisters-in-law refused to get their womb tied but the younger sister-in-law started thinking that if I do not get the womb tied, my mother-in-law will be angry. Thinking this, the younger sister-in-law tied herself in place of her sister-in-law. After that, whenever she had a child, it would die after seven days.
One day the moneylender’s wife called the Panditji and asked, what is the matter, why does the child of my daughter-in-law die on the seventh day?
Then Pandit ji told his daughter-in-law to worship the black cow. The black cow is the sister of Syu Mata, if she leaves your womb then your child will live.
From then on, she would wake up early in the morning and quietly clean under the black cow.
One day mother cow said – I will see today who is serving me. When mother cow woke up early in the morning, she saw that the daughter-in-law of the moneylender’s son was cleaning under her.
Mother cow asked him, what do you desire that you are serving me so much?
What does the demand demand? Then the moneylender’s daughter-in-law said, Siau Mata is your sister and she has tied my womb, please get my womb opened by her.
Mother cow said – Okay then mother cow took him across the seven seas to her sister. There was strong sunlight on the way, so both of them sat under a tree. After some time, a snake came and started killing the children of Garuda Pankhani on the same tree. Then the moneylender’s daughter-in-law killed the snake and buried it under the shield and saved the children. After some time, Garuda Pankhani came and seeing the blood lying there, she started pecking the moneylender’s daughter-in-law.
Then the moneylender said – I have not killed your child but the snake had come to bite your child. I have protected your children.
Hearing this, Garuda Pankhani became happy and asked, What do you ask for?
She said, Syumata lives across the seven seas. Please send me to him. Then Garuda Pankhani carried both of them on his back and took them to Sayu Mata.
Sayu Mata looked at them and said that sister has come after a long time. Then she said that sister has got lice in my head. Then, at Surahi’s request, the moneylender’s daughter-in-law removed his lice with a stitch. On this, Sayu Mata became happy and said that you should have seven sons and seven daughters-in-law.
The maid said – I don’t have even one son, where will I get seven?
Sayu Mata said – If I go back on my promise, I will be like a pebble on the washerman’s pond.
Then the moneylender’s daughter-in-law said, mother said that my womb is lying closed with you.
Hearing this, Syu Mata said, you have cheated me, I would not have opened your womb but now I will have to do so. Go, you will get seven sons and seven daughters-in-law in your house. You go and do Ujman. Make seven ahois and perform seven strictures. When she returned home, she saw seven sons and seven daughters-in-law sitting there, she became happy. He made seven ahois, seven uzamans, seven kadais. On the day of Diwali, the sisters-in-law started saying to each other that they should do the puja quickly, lest the younger daughter-in-law start crying remembering the children.
After some time, he said to his children – Go to your aunt’s house and see why she has not cried yet..?
The children looked and went back and said that aunty is making fun of something, there is a lot of excitement going on. On hearing this, the sisters-in-law ran to her house and started asking how did you get rid of the womb?
She said, you have not given birth! I tied it, now Sayu Mata has kindly untied me. Just as Syu Mata opened the womb of that moneylender’s daughter-in-law, in the same way open ours too, open everyone’s. Open the womb of the one who says, the one who roars and the family.
Ahoi Ashtami 2024: When will the fast of Ahoi Ashtami be observed, know the importance of this fast and the method of worship