Ahoi Ashtami is an auspicious Hindu festival where mothers fast from sunrise till nightfall for the good health, happiness and safety of their children. It is observed four days after Karwa Chauth and eight days before Diwali. This year Ahoi Ashtami will be celebrated in India on November 6.
After viewing the moon in the early morning at 4 a.m., strict fasting is observed, and the fast ends after viewing the stars in the night sky.
Did you know the history behind this festival?
Read the interesting story of Ahoi Asthami here:
According to mythology, a money lender lived together with his wife and seven sons. One day, the money lender's wife goes to the forest to get yellow soil for the Diwali decoration of the house. When she was digging the soil with a shovel, accidentally she killed the baby of a soil animal. This day was Ashtami of Kartik month. The money lender's wife started repenting for the death of the animal's baby and returned to her home.
After some time, the first son of the money lender died, and the next year the second son also passed away. Likewise, all his seven sons died. The moneylender's wife was moaning when she was accompanied by her neighbour and was repeatedly saying that she had never committed any sin intentionally. By mistake, the baby of a soil animal got killed when she was digging.
A neighbour woman told the money lender's wife that half of her sins had been eradicated by the repentance you have done by telling this. The women said that on the same Ashtami, you should worship Goddess Parvati by taking a picture of Seh and Seh's (soil animal) children and apologize for this mistake. The money lender's wife followed the same. Every year she started worshipping and apologizing to the Goddess. She observed fasting too. Due to the effect of this fasting, she got back her seven sons.
All the mothers who used to observe Ahoi Ashtami fast for their children and were unaware of this mythological interesting story, now know how and why the festival started.
