Ahoi Ashtami 2022: Full vrat Katha of Ahoi Mata for Ahoi Ashtami puja

Ahoi Ashtami Katha: Women observing Ahoi Ashtami fast must read this story while performing puja. By reading this, Ahoi Mata will shower her blessings on you.

Ahoi Ashtami 2022: This year Ahoi Ashtami fast is being observed on 17 October. This fast is very special for women because Ahoi Ashtami vrat is kept for the long and happy life of their children. On this day Ahoi Mata is worshipped and then in the evening, Arghya (puja offering) is offered to the stars or moon depending on customs. But the thing that is most important in this vrat is the holy Katha of this fast.

Ahoi Ashtami 2022: Vrat Katha

In ancient times, there lived a moneylender (sahukaar) in a village. He had seven sons and one daughter. The moneylender had married off all his sons and daughter. Every year during Diwali, the moneylender's daughter used to come to her maternal home. Once on Diwali, all the seven daughters-in-law of the moneylender were going to collect soil from the forest for the renovation of the house. Seeing them leaving, the moneylender's daughter also went with them. The daughter reached the forest and started digging the soil, at that place a Syahu (porcupine) lived with her sons. While digging the soil, the moneylender's daughter's spade hit a baby Syahu, due to which one of her children died. Seeing this Syahu got angry and said that "the way you killed my child, I will also tie your womb."

Hearing these words, the moneylender's daughter begged her seven sisters-in-law to get their womb tied instead. Hearing her request, her youngest sister-in-law got ready and instead of the sahukaar's daughter, the 7th daughter-in-law got her womb tied. After doing this, any children the younger sister-in-law had, would die within seven days. She was very sad thinking about the death of her seven sons and she called the pandit and asked the reason for it.

The pundit, hearing her agony, advised her to serve the surhi cow (a particular specie of cow). Eventually, surhi cow is pleased with the service and prayers of the younger daughter-in-law and asks her why she was serving the cow so much and what do you want from her. The little daughter-in-law of the moneylender told Surhi cow that Syahu Mata has tied her womb, due to which whenever she gives birth to a child, he dies within seven days. If you can open my womb, I will be very grateful to you.

The Surhi cow grants her wish and starts taking her to Syahu Mata. On the way, both of them get tired and take some rest. Then suddenly the little daughter-in-law of the moneylender sees that a snake is going to bite the child of Garuda Pankhni (a bird). Seeing this, she kills the snake itself to save that child. When Garuda Pankhni sees blood splattered there, she feels that the younger daughter-in-law has killed her child. Thinking of the killer of her child's death, she starts pecking the younger daughter-in-law.

The youngest daughter-in-law then explains to her that the blood is that of a snake, which she killed to save her child's life. Hearing this, Garuda Pankhni was pleased and asked her what do you wish for? She said, please take me to Syahu Mata beyond the seven seas. Garuda Pankhni made both of them sit on their backs and brings them to Syahu Mata. Seeing them, Sayu Mata says that the sister had come after a long time, then starts saying to the young woman that she has got lice in her head. Then at the behest of Surhi, the moneylender's daughter-in-law starts removing her lice with a needle.

With this Sayu Mata gets pleased and starts saying that "you have put a lot of needles in my head, so you will have seven sons and daughters-in-law". The moneylender's youngest daughter-in-law then says that "I do not have a single son, where will the seven sons come from?". Syahu Mata said - If I turn away from the promise (vachan), then I will be stoned at the washerman's pool (dhobi kundh). Then the moneylender's daughter-in-law tells her that her womb is lying tied by you, then Saya Mata says you have cheated with me now, I would not have untied your womb, but now I will have to do it anyway.

Go to your house, and you will find seven sons and seven daughters-in-law, go and do meditate. Make seven Ahoi and do seven embroideries. Later when the daughter-in-law returns home, she sees seven sons and seven daughters-in-law, and she rejoices. Then she makes seven Ahoi, tuned into meditation, and prayers and made seven embroideries. During the night, the elder sisters-in-law start telling each other to take a quick bath and worship Ahoi Mata, otherwise, the younger sister-in-law will start crying after remembering her deceased little children.

When the Jethanis (elder sisters-in-law) did not hear the cry of the young sister-in-law of the moneylender, after a while they asked their children to go to their aunt's house and see why she has not cried till now. The children went and came back and said that the young aunt is trying to do some puja. On hearing this, the sisters-in-law come running to her house and went and said how did you get her womb untied? She tells them about Syahu Mata and the untying of the womb, so now I have opened my womb. In this way, with the blessings of Syahu, the house of the youngest daughter-in-law of the moneylender became prosperous again. Ahoi also means 'to make the impossible happen'. The little daughter-in-law of the moneylender showed how something impossible can happen. 

Since then the tradition of fasting on Ahoi Ashtami continued and mothers fast for their unborn and living children to wish for their long and happy life.