Sheetla Mata
About Sheetla Mata
Sheetla Mata is honoured in villages and cities across North India as the goddess who rules both sickness and healing. She is worshipped as an incarnation of Parvati and Durga, showing the fierce yet loving power of the Mother. Sheetla Mata is best known as the goddess who can spread or cure smallpox and other childhood diseases. Families rely on her gentle protection to keep children and communities safe. Her worship is always tied to nature—she is thought to guard over the changing of seasons, when illnesses are most common. On her festival days, mothers sweep homes, make offerings of simple, cool food like rice, yogurt, or sweets, and pray by the family altar, asking her to shield their loved ones from harm. In small villages, her temples are bright with red flags and simple images of a calm, motherly goddess riding a donkey, holding a silver broom and a pot of holy water. Sheetla Mata’s blessings are felt any time a fever is soothed, a child’s sores are healed, or a house is cleaned in her honour.
Mantra of Sheetla Mata
While Sheetla Mata’s worship is rooted in simple prayers, some devotees chant soft hymns invoking her healing and protective powers: 'Sheetle Sheetle Sankshepit Sarva Rogan Nashay Nashay Sheetleh Swaha.' In most homes, mothers recite quiet prayers in their own language, asking Mata to cool the fever, remove rashes, and keep the house disease-free. There are no elaborate Sanskrit mantras—her blessings are believed to come when she hears heartfelt requests for mercy and health. During festivals, priests and families sing bhajans and songs dedicated to Sheetla, mixing reverence with stories, laughter, and daily worries. For many, the real mantra is repeated in silence: a wish that every child sleep peacefully, every sickness leave quickly, and every meal be eaten in good health. Even a single honest prayer, made while sweeping or giving water to someone sick, is enough to reach her.
Chalisa of Sheetla Mata
Aarti of Sheetla Mata
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ's
FAQ stands for frequently asked questions. It's a page on a website that provides quick answers to common questions from customers and other visitors.
