Ahoi Ashtami is a significant Hindu festival celebrated primarily in North India. It is observed on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Hindu month of Kartik. In 2024, Ahoi Ashtami falls on Thursday, October 24th. 

Significance of Ahoi Ashtami

Ahoi Ashtami holds immense importance for mothers who observe a strict fast for the well-being and long life of their children. The fast is broken after sighting the stars in the evening sky. The festival is believed to have originated from the legend of Ahoi Mata, who was blessed with a son after performing austerities and observing this fast.

Puja Vidhi

The Ahoi Ashtami puja involves the following steps:

1. Early Morning Rituals:

   • Wake up before sunrise and take a bath.

   • Offer prayers to the rising sun.

   • Make a mud image of a snake and a mouse.

   • Offer water to the image and recite Ahoi Mata's story.

2. Fasting Throughout the Day:

   • Observe a strict fast without consuming water or food.

   • Some women may also abstain from speaking.

3. Evening Puja:

   • Light a lamp and incense sticks.

   • Offer prayers to Ahoi Mata and other deities.

   • Recite Ahoi Mata's story again.

   • Offer food and water to the mud image.

   • Perform aarti.

4. Breaking the Fast:

   • After sighting the stars in the evening sky, offer water to the stars.

   • Break the fast by consuming a meal that includes puris, halwa, and fruits.

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