Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) Kit

The no-fire puja — the only Hindu worship where you deliberately do NOT light a diya. Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) is performed 8 days after Holi (Chaitra Krishna Ashtami). Sheetala Mata is the goddess of cooling and disease prevention — historically invoked against smallpox, now associated with general childhood health. The ritual’s most distinctive feature: no fire is used. The puja is performed cold. Unlit diyas, cold food (basoda), and mustard oil (not ghee) are the specific prescriptions. Ten items, strictly no-fire compliant: unlit earthen diyas (placed but never lit), cold-pressed mustard oil (not ghee), haldi without kumkum (kumkum is not applied to Sheetala Mata), dry neem powder (the cooling, disease-preventing herb), and a natural mehendi cone for the decorative offering. The raw moong dal is the prasad ingredient — moong is the cooling grain, aligned with Sheetala’s cooling function. Sheetala Ashtami is observed primarily in North India (Rajasthan, UP, MP, Haryana). The no-fire rule makes this kit completely unique — no other puja kit in the catalogue has this constraint. Available for private label with custom packaging. MOQ on request.