Vrat Vidhi :
On the Saptami (7th day) of the dark fortnight of the Shravan month, married women observe the Shitala Satam fast. On this day, the woman wakes up early, bathes with cold water, and consumes only cold food throughout the day. The stove should not be lit. A diya (lamp) is lit, and the story of Shitala Mata is recited. Observing this vrat (fast) brings prosperity, good health, children, and marital bliss.
Vrat Katha:
In a village lived two sisters-in-law — the elder (Jethani) and the younger (Devrani) — with their mother-in-law. Each had a son. The elder was jealous by nature, while the younger was kind, gentle, and loving.
One day, during the month of Shravan, Radhan Chhath (a day when women cook food to be eaten the next day) arrived. The mother-in-law asked the younger daughter-in-law to cook. She cooked until midnight. Suddenly, her baby began to cry from the cradle. She paused her cooking, picked up the child, laid down with him to calm him, and soon fell asleep due to exhaustion. The stove remained lit.
At midnight, Shitala Mata was wandering and came to their house. She dipped her hands in the burning stove expecting coolness, but instead, felt intense heat. Her entire body was burned. Enraged, she cursed the woman:
"As my body was burnt, so shall your womb burn!"
In the morning, the younger daughter-in-law woke up and found the stove still burning and her child dead — his body was burned. She wept bitterly and realized that it must have been Shitala Mata's curse. She told everything to her mother-in-law, who comforted her and advised her to go to the goddess and seek forgiveness.
Placing her dead child in a basket, she set out. On the way, she passed two ponds full of water, but no one drank from them, as anyone who drank their water died.
The ponds asked her, “Sister, where are you going?”
She replied, “I’m going to seek forgiveness from Shitala Mata for her curse.”
The ponds said, “Please ask Mata about us too — what sin did we commit that our water is cursed and brings death?”
She went further and met two oxen fighting with bells tied around their necks. They asked, “Sister, where are you going?”
She replied the same.
They said, “Please ask about our curse too — why must we always fight?”
She continued walking and saw an old woman under a jujube (ber) tree, scratching her head intensely.
The woman said, “Sister, I have such an itchy scalp. Please check my head.”
Though tired, the younger daughter-in-law placed her dead child in the woman's lap and began combing her hair. After a while, the itch disappeared. The old woman blessed her saying:
"As my head has cooled, so may your womb cool."
Instantly, a miracle occurred — the dead child came back to life. She was shocked and realized the old woman was none other than Shitala Mata herself. She fell at her feet.
The daughter-in-law asked Mata about the cursed ponds. Mata explained,
“In their past life, they were co-wives who constantly quarreled and never offered clean food or water to others. If you drink from their water, their sins will be washed away.”
She then asked about the oxen. Shitala Mata replied,
“They were co-sisters-in-law in a previous life, full of jealousy. Now they are oxen, always fighting. Remove the bells from their necks and their curse will end.”
The younger daughter-in-law returned happily with her child. On her way back, she met the oxen and removed their bells — they stopped fighting. She then drank from the ponds, which became pure. She told everything to her mother-in-law. The elder daughter-in-law became envious.
The next year, during Radhan Chhath, the elder decided to do the same, thinking she too would get the blessings. She kept the stove burning and slept. At midnight, Shitala Mata again came and burned herself. In anger, she cursed:
"As my body burned, so shall your womb."
The next morning, the elder daughter-in-law found her child dead. Instead of mourning, she smiled thinking she too would meet the goddess.
She set out with the child in a basket. On the way, the ponds asked her where she was going. She rudely replied, “Why do you care? Can’t you see my son is dead?”
The oxen also asked for help. She ignored them too.
The old woman again sat under the tree and asked her to scratch her head. Angrily, she replied, “Am I free to do that? Don’t you see my child is dead?” She roamed all day but could not find Shitala Mata. Tired and in sorrow, she returned home crying.
“O Shitala Mata! As you blessed my younger co-sister, please bless all.”
