8th November is the fast of Ahoi Ashtami. It is believed that children get long life and prosperity from this fast. In Karthik month, a fast is observed for children, especially sons, just 4 days after Karvachauth, a day of unbroken good fortune and 8 days before Diwali. This fast of Ahoi Ashtami is observed on Ashtami, the Krishna Paksha of Kartik month. Women keep this fast for the longevity of their sons and their progress. Like Karvachauth in this too, after fasting from morning to night, Chandra Darshan, worship of Ahoi Mata and Katha are recited. Then the fast ends. On this day, one has to wait a lot to see the moon, then this fast is also considered very difficult.
Auspicious time for date and worship
According to the Panchang, on 8 November, the worship of Ahoi Ashtami Vrat will start from 5 o’clock to 31 in the evening and will continue till 6.50 o’clock in the evening. On this day, the lunar darshan will take place only after eleven and a half. On this best vow, best wishes to all your loved ones.
Method of worship on Ahoi Ashtami
An effigy of eight brackets is made from cow dung or by painting, and the figures of her children are made. Mothers worship him in the evening or Pradosh kaal after fasting for the whole day.
The water used is filled in the Karve used in Karwachauth. In the evening, after worshiping the mother by law, she is offered fruits, flowers and sweets. After that, after fasting the stars to Karve, the fast is concluded at night. After this, after consuming the story of Ahoi Mata, food and water are consumed. The water of that Karve is sprinkled throughout the house on Diwali. It is believed that worshiping Ahoi Mata and offering milk and rice to them is auspicious.
Story of Ahoi Mata
A moneylender had 7 sons and a daughter. The moneylender had married his seven sons and daughter. Now she had seven daughters in her house with seven sons. The moneylender’s daughter came to her maternal home from her in-laws on Diwali. On Diwali, the house had to be razed, so all the daughters-in-law went to collect soil from the forest. The moneylender’s daughter also walked with her sisters-in-law.
The daughter of the moneylender lived at the place where the soil was cut, Syahu (Sahi) lived with her sons. A child of Sihu died of accidental injury to the moneylender’s daughter’s hoof while cutting mud. Angry at this, Syahu said that I will bind your womb.
Upon hearing the words of Sihu, the moneylender’s daughter begs one of her seven sisters-in-law to get her womb tied instead. The youngest sister-in-law agrees to get her womb exchanged in lieu of sister-in-law. After this, whatever children the younger sister-in-law has, they die after seven days. After the seven sons died in this way, he called the Pandit and asked the reason for this. Pandit advised to serve surhi cow.
Surhi is delighted with the service and asks the younger daughter-in-law why you are serving me so much and what does she want from him? Whatever you wish, ask me. The daughter-in-law of the moneylender said that Sihu Mata has tied my womb so that my children do not survive. If you open my womb, I will accept your favor. Cow Mata obeyed him and took him with him across the seven seas to Sihu Mata.
Both get rested on the way. Suddenly the moneylender’s younger daughter-in-law goes to one side, she sees that a snake is going to sting the child of Garuda Phanni and she kills the snake. At this point, Garuda Phani comes there and seeing the blood splattered, she feels that the younger daughter-in-law has killed her child, on which she starts bending the younger daughter-in-law.
The younger daughter-in-law says that she has saved the life of her child. Garuda Phanni is happy on this and brings them to Syahu along with Surhi.
The younger daughter-in-law also serves Syahu there. Syahu is pleased with the service of the younger daughter-in-law and blesses her to have seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. Syahu blesses the younger daughter-in-law with seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. And says that you go to home to teach Ahoi Mata. Make seven hundred Ahoi and give it to Satkadahi. When he returned home, he found seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. She became overwhelmed with happiness. He raised seven ahoys and gave a saktadahi.
The meaning of Ahoi also means ‘to make an untoward happen’, as the younger daughter-in-law of the moneylender did. Just as Ahoi Mata opened the womb of that moneylender’s daughter-in-law, similarly fulfill the wishes of all the women who observe this fast.
Also read in hindi: Ahoi Ashtami: जानें अहोई माता की पूजा का शुभ मुहूर्त तथा विधि