Kashipur, March 9: The Basoda festival, celebrated a week after the vibrant festival of Holi, has drawn immense enthusiasm among devotees in Kashipur. Special prayers and rituals at the ancient Siddh Peeth Shri Sheetala Mata Temple began on the second day of the Chaitra month and continue today.
Since early morning, hundreds of devotees have arrived at the temple to worship and offer prasad to Goddess Sheetala Devi. Long queues formed on both sides of the temple as devotees patiently awaited their turn.
Temple manager Pandit Sandeep Mishra explained that Goddess Sheetala is revered as the deity who alleviates diseases. She is also known by various names, including Nagar Kot Devi, Mahakali, Trishna, Kalratri, Shri Chouganan Chauraha Wali, and Masani Mata. Special prayers are held annually from the second day of Chaitra month to rid the community of ailments caused by seasonal changes. Devotees gather in large numbers to apply turmeric tilak on the goddess and offer items such as coconuts, raw milk, chickpeas, lentils, turmeric, jaggery, flour, puffed rice, mustard oil, salt, and other worship materials.
Religious beliefs suggest that the Basoda worship helps eliminate diseases and promotes health within households. Pandit Sandeep Mishra noted, “Devotees have been arriving since 5 AM. Prayers are conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from the day after Holi until Baisakhi. Special worship is also arranged on Sheetala Saptami and Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda). By visiting the temple, the goddess alleviates hardships and eradicates diseases.”
He further mentioned that the Basoda worship will take place on March 10 and 11, but due to today being a Monday, a significant crowd was present. Many devotees continue to offer prasad for an entire week. Arrangements have been made to manage the crowd effectively, allowing devotees to have a smooth experience while offering their prayers and prasad. The Basoda festival symbolizes health, cleanliness, and disease prevention, celebrated with great devotion.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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