Shitala Ashtami
Basoda — cold food offered to the goddess Shitala.
North India
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 11 March 2026 |
| 2027 | Tuesday, 30 March 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday, 18 March 2028 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, 7 March 2029 |
| 2030 | Tuesday, 26 March 2030 |
| 2031 | Sunday, 16 March 2031 |
Dates are for Mumbai. A tithi that changes close to sunrise or sunset can fall a day earlier or later in another city, so for your own town open the festival in the app.
When it falls
8th day of the waning moon, in Phalguna. Like every lunar festival it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. Muhurtha works the date out from the positions of the Sun and Moon, using the rule for this festival; see how every festival is dated.
The story
Shitala is the goddess believed to protect children from fevers and pox, once feared as signs of her anger. She is pictured riding a donkey, holding a broom and a pot of cool water.
How it is kept
Families cook the day before and eat that food cold on the day (called Basoda). The hearth is not lit, and cold food and water are offered to the goddess.
Common questions
When is Shitala Ashtami in 2027?
In 2027, Shitala Ashtami falls on Tuesday, 30 March 2027 in Mumbai. Dates for other years are in the table above.
How is the date of Shitala Ashtami decided?
8th day of the waning moon, in Phalguna. Like every lunar festival it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. Muhurtha works the date out from the positions of the Sun and Moon, using the rule for this festival; see how every festival is dated.
How is Shitala Ashtami kept?
Families cook the day before and eat that food cold on the day (called Basoda). The hearth is not lit, and cold food and water are offered to the goddess.
Other festivals nearby
Open the Muhurtha app to see Shitala Ashtami for your own town, with the exact time its tithi begins and ends. How every festival is dated.
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