| Shitala | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Ailments[1] | |
 The goddess Shitala onJvarasura | |
| Affiliation | Devi Parvati |
| Weapon | Broom,hand fan, water pot (medicinal water for cure for diseases) |
| Mount | Jvarasur (donkey) |
| Festivals | Sheetala Asthami |
| Consort | Shiva |
Shitala (Sanskrit:शीतला,IAST:śītalā)lit. 'coolness', also spelled asSheetala,śītalā andSeetla, is aHindu goddess venerated primarily inNorth India.[2] She is regarded to be an incarnation of the goddessParvati. She is believed to cure poxes, sores, ghouls, pustules, and diseases, and most directly linked with the diseasesmallpox. Shitala is worshipped on Tuesday[3]Saptami andAshtami (the seventh and eighth day of a Hindu month), especially afterHoli during the month ofChaitra. The celebration of the goddess Shitala on the seventh and eighth day of the Hindu month is referred to as the Sheetala Saptami andSheetala Asthami, respectively.[4]
The deity is typically depicted as a mother who defends children frompaediatric ailments, such asexanthemata andsmallpox. She also serves as a fertility goddess that assists women in finding good husbands and conceiving healthy children. Her auspicious presence promises the welfare of the family and is considered to protect the devotee's sources of livelihood. Shitala is also summoned to ensure refreshing rainfall and the prevention of famines, droughts, and cattle diseases.[5]
Some 16th-century copies of theSkanda Purana's Kāśī Khaṇḍa section onVaranasi describe Shitala curing ailments like smallpox pustules:[6]
For the sake of quelling boils and blisters (of smallpox) and for the sake of the children, a devotee takes Masūra lentils by measures and grinds them. Due to the power of Śītalā, children become free from the disease.
— Skanda Purana, Chapter 12
The earliestBengali language poems on Shitala were composed inSaptagram in 1690. 18th-century compositions fromMidnapore,West Bengal led to Shitala's increasing prominence in religious worship. During this period, conflicts between theMaratha Empire and BritishEast India Company led to famines that increased the mortality of smallpox cases.[7]
InSanskrit, the nameSheetala (शीतलाśītalā) literally means 'the one who cools.' Anepithet of themother goddessDevi revered inHinduism, 'Sheetala' represents the divine blessing of bestowing cool relief from the suffering of fever. The goddess Sheetala is worshiped under varying names across theIndian subcontinent. Devotees most often refer to Sheetala using honorific suffixes reserved for respected motherly figures, such as Sheetala-Ma (Hindi: मांmāṃ), Sheetala-Mata (Sanskrit: माताmātā), and Sheetala-Amma (Kannada: ಅಮ್ಮam'ma). Sheetala is revered byHindus,Buddhists, andAdivasi communities. She is mentioned inTantric andPuranic literature, and Her later appearance in vernacular texts - such as the 17th-centuryBengali-languageSheetalaMangal-Kāvya (শীতলা মঙ্গলকাব্য, Lit. 'auspicious poetry of Goddess Sheetala') by Manikram Gangopadhyay - has contributed to popularising Her worship.[8]
InNorth India, Sheetala Devi's worship is especially popular amongJatavs communities,[9] where She is traditionally identified as an aspect of GoddessParvati, the Divine Consort of LordShiva. She is also closely associated with theneem tree - the leaves and flowers of which are used asnaivedya (sacred offerings) at Sheetala Devi shrines and temples. In some places, likeMuzaffarnagar, worshippers pray to Her using the divine epithet 'Mā Ujalī Devī' (माँ उजली देवी, 'Divine Mother of Brightness'). Other shrines are located at Sikandarpur; in Bijnor, Raewala, Dehra Dun and in Jalon. These Goddesses seem to have been worshipped for many centuries by theChamars as has been documented.[9] In addition to being addressed as 'Mother', Sheetala Devi is also revered with honorific titles such asThakurani,Jagrani (Queen of the World),Karunamayi (She Who Is Full of Mercy),Mangala (The Auspicious One),Bhagavati (The Revered Goddess),Dayamayi (She Who Is Compassionate, Full of Grace, and Kindness).[10] InGurgaon,Haryana, Sheetala is considered to beKripi (the wife ofDrona) and worshipped in theSheetla Mata Mandir Gurgaon.[11] InSouth India, Sheetala Devi is revered as the goddess incarnateMariamman, widely worshipped byTamil people.
Sheetala is primarily worshiped by women on Sitalastami, the eighth day ofPhalguna, the eleventh month of the Hindu lunar calendar, which typically falls between mid-February and late March, as established byRaghunandana because the long, dry nights are associated with deaths from smallpox.[7] There are manyarti sangrah andstutis for the puja of Seetala. Some of them are Shri Shitla Mata Chalisa, Shitala Maa ki arti, and Shri Shitala Mata ashtak.
According to common belief, many families do not light their stoves on Ashtami/Saptami day, and all devotees cheerfully eat cold food (Cooked the previous night) in the form ofprasada. The idea behind this is that as spring fades and summer approaches, cold food should be avoided.[12]
Sheetala is primarily worshiped by women on Sitalastami, the eighth day of Phalguna, which typically falls between mid-February and late March. The worship is rooted in ancient customs, as established by Raghunandana, due to the association of this period with smallpox and seasonal transition.
Devotees often recite various hymns and prayers during the puja, such as Shitala Mata Chalisa, Shitala Maa ki Aarti, and Shitala Mata Ashtak.[1]
Shitala is traditionally represented as a young maiden crowned with a winnowing fan, riding a donkey, and holding a short broom to spread the content of her pot full of viral pustules or cold water of immortality. In smaller rural shrines built byAdivasi andBahujan communities, Shitala may be simply represented by smooth stone slabs with painted facial features and decorative adornments donated by devotees. Notably, references toneem leaves are ubiquitous in Shitala's liturgy and also appear in her iconography, suggesting an early understanding ofAzadirachta indica as amedicinal plant. Moreover, neem leaves are extensively mentioned in theSushruta Samhita, where it is listed as an effectiveantipyretic, as well as a remedy for certain inflammatory skin conditions.
Shitala is a form of GoddessKatyayani. She provides coolness to feverish patients. According to theDevi Mahatmyam, when anasura namedJvarasura gave bacterial fever to all the children, the goddess Katyayani arrived in heravatar of Shitala to purify the children's blood by ridding them of the fever-causing bacteria, and vanquishing the evil Jvarasura. In Sanskritjvara means 'fever', andshītala means 'coolness'. In North Indian iconography, Shitala is often depicted with Jvarasura as her eternal servant. Other deities often worshiped alongside Shitala Devi include Ghentu-debata, the god of skin diseases;Raktabati, the goddess of blood infections and the sixty-four epidemics; andOladevi, a cholera-associated disease goddess.[13]
She is also depicted enthroned in an eight-handed form holding atrident,broom,discus (chakra), pot of viral pustules and healing water, branches of neem,scimitar,conch. and a hand depictingvaradamudra. She is also flanked by two donkeys. This depiction has established her as a goddess of protection, good fortune, health, and power.
Shitala is historically understood as causing smallpox among non-believers, providing them an opportunity for reflection. Based on her religious role of healing those that make offerings to others recovering from illness, theWorld Health Organization's efforts to distribute smallpox vaccines initially faced resistance as local people saw vaccination as an attempt by Western science to circumvent Hindu religious order. To combat this perception, the international Smallpox Eradication Program (SEP) produced posters depicting Shitala with a vaccination needle to reinterpret immunization as derived from Shitala's power.[14]
InBuddhist legends,Jvarasura and Shitala are depicted sometimes as companions ofParanasabari, the Buddhist goddess of diseases. Jvarasura and Shitala are shown escorting her to her right and left side, respectively.[15]
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Some of the notable temples:
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