Ahoi Asthami Brat !

Today is Ahoi Asthami brat festival, on this day mother fast for their sons’ prosperity and long life. This festival is specifically meant for mothers who have sons. Mother's keep fast on this day and spend day without meal and drinking water till evening when star appears on the sky, then pure water is offered to stars, thus fast ends. This Ahoi Asthami brat is celebrated in the month of October - November (Karthik Month). Many stories are associated with this festival which pertains to asking for wish and blessings for their sons. The Ahoi Asthami fast and prayer are almost similar to that of Karva Chauth. People from different parts of North India celebrate the fast with a few variations. Lots of legends related to Ahoi Asthami brat found in the history books below are some commonly believe legends are -

• Long time ago there used to be a King .He had a problem that he did not have any children. So one day a sage comes to his palace and gives him a mango and asks him to give it to his queen to eat and she will have a child .The King had two queens so he decides to give half mango to each queen. After that both the queens have a son but they were also half (sideways).Then every minister of his kingdom advised him to kill them as they might be bad omen for the king .Accepting their advice king orders his servants to kill the kids. Instead of killing them the servants just leave the kids in a jungle. That night Ahoi Mata comes to the jungle and on seeing the half kids, takes pity on them and joins into one. The next day King comes to know of this deed .He then prays to Ahoi Mata and thanks her.
•  Once upon a time, there lived a woman in a village. She had seven sons. One day she went to the forest to bring soil for the renovation and painting of her home (this was in the month of Kartik just before the Hindu festival Diwali). She started digging soil with axe nearby a den. Suddenly the woman's axe fell on the cub in the den and the cub died. The woman felt very sorry and sympathetic. She took soil from the forest and came back. Few days later, all her seven sons died within a year. She was very sad. One day she narrated her woes to old ladies in her village, she was crying and told them that she didn't commit the sin and it happened unintentionally. She narrated to the ladies that once when she was digging for the soil in the forest her axe fell on the cub and thereafter within a year all my seven sons died. The ladies appreciated for confessing her guilty and then these ladies told that by confessing the sin she has atone her half of the sin. They suggested the woman to pray the Goddess Asthami Bhagwati by sketching the face of the cub. By the grace of Goddess your sin will cast off. The woman kept fast on the Kartik Krishna Asthami and then onwards she started praying and keeping fast regularly. By the power of her prayer the Goddess's grace showered and she get back her all seven sons. Since then, it became a ritual to worship the Goddess Ahoi Asthami Bhagwati religiously every year.
• One another legend is related to the story of Siau Mata (mother fox) is told by one of the women to everyone that is-once upon a time there was a potter family. There lived two brothers together alongwith their families in the house. One day, the younger brother asked his wife to dig up and bring clay pots for a pre-Diwali market. While digging, she accidentally killed seven baby foxes’ with her spade. Their mother came out, very angry. She laid a curse on the potter family "Your family will die, because you have killed mine". The woman cried, asking the foxes forgiveness, "I will do anything you want, but please spare my family". The fox said, "You will have to give me seven of your children, whenever they will born, as compensation". The woman agreed and returned home feeling very sad. Following this incident, whenever she had a child, she took it and gave it to the mother fox. Every year on Ahoi Asthami, all other women of the house celebrated and everyone was happy, except her. One day, a Pandit came to their house and told her that if she prayed to Ahoi Mata with full devotion, she may be able to reverse the curse put upon her by the fox. The next year, the woman fasted and prayed with full devotion. Ahoi Mata impressed then Ahoi Mata requested the mother fox to return the woman’s children because she has suffered enough. Fox agreed and returned the woman’s children. Her family was completed. Once again her home was filled with the noise and laughter of children. Woman finish the story saying, “O Ahoi Mata, look after my children, as you looked after hers”. After stars appear, women offers water to the stars and break their fast.

In north Indian homes, the food consists of family favourite vegetarian dishes, including purees and sweet desserts. Ahoi Asthami brat is mother’s affection and well being desire for her sons’ that is why she spend whole day without meal and water until stars visible in the sky then after pooja she ends her fast, so for her efforts on yearly basis towards sons I salute to mothers.