Shitala

Mythology

The deity is typically depicted as a mother who defends children from paediatric ailments, such as exanthemata and smallpox. She provides coolness to feverish patients and 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.

Some 16th-century copies of the Skanda Purana's Kāśī Khaṇḍa section on Varanasi describe Shitala curing ailments like smallpox pustules:

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 earliest Bengali language poems on Shitala were composed in Saptagram in 1690. 18th-century compositions from Midnapore, West Bengal led to Shitala's increasing prominence in religious worship. During this period, conflicts between the Maratha Empire and British East India Company led to famines that increased the mortality of smallpox cases.

Shitala is traditionally identified as an aspect of goddess Parvati (or Durga), the divine consort of lord Shiva and is often seen as a form of goddess Katyayani (the sixth form of goddess Durga). According to the Devi Mahatmyam, when an asura named Jvarasura gave bacterial fever to all the children, the goddess Katyayani arrived in her avatar of Shitala to purify the children's blood by ridding them of the fever-causing bacteria, and vanquishing the evil Jvarasura. In Sanskrit jvara means 'fever', and shītala means 'coolness'. In Bengal, other deities often worshiped alongside Shitala include Ghentu-devata, the god of skin diseases; Raktavati, the goddess of blood infections and the sixty-four epidemics; and Oladevi, a cholera-associated disease goddess.

Shitala is sometimes also depicted as having six sisters, and at other times as the eldest of eight sisters, all of whom cause pustular diseases and are venerated for recovery. The sisters are: Masani, Basanti, Maha Mai, Polamde, Lamkaria, and Agwani. Another tradition names the sisters as Phulmati Mata, Chamariya Mata, Durga-Kali, Maha Kali, Bhadra Kali, and Kalika Bhavani. Shitala and her sisters are said reside in the trees of the neem (Azadirachta indica), kikar (Acacia arabica) or jand (Prosopis cineraria).

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, the World 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.

Shitala Puja

Shitala may be worshiped at any time of the year. However, the annual period of worship is the month of Chaitra (March–April as per the Hindu calendar) on Shitala Ashtami as established by Raghunandana because the long, dry nights are associated with deaths from smallpox. Generally, she is worshiped early in the mornings of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The month of Chaitra is important as it is the season in which wheat ripens. Also, the season is of Basant (spring). One of Shitala's name is Basanti and therefore, she represents the negative side of Basant and is therefore worshiped.

Shitala is primarily worshiped by women. There are many arti sangrah and stutis for the puja of Shitala. 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 the Ashtami/Saptami day, and all devotees cheerfully eat cold food (cooked the previous night) in the form of prasada. The idea behind this is that as spring fades and summer approaches, cold food should be avoided.

She is also closely associated with the neem tree - the leaves and flowers of which are used as naivedya (sacred offerings) at her shrines and temples.

Iconography and symbolism

Shitala is traditionally represented as a young maiden crowned with a winnowing fan, riding a donkey, a snake as a whip, and holding a short broom to spread the content of her pot full of viral pustules or cold water of immortality. She is also depicted enthroned in an eight-handed form holding a trishula (trident), broom, chakra (discus), branches of neem, scimitar, conch and a hand depicting varadamudra. She is also flanked by two donkeys. This depiction has established her as a goddess of protection, good fortune, health, and power.

Notably, references to neem leaves are ubiquitous in Shitala's liturgy and also appear in her iconography, suggesting an early understanding of neem as a medicinal plant. Moreover, neem leaves are extensively mentioned in the Sushruta Samhita, where it is listed as an effective antipyretic, as well as a remedy for certain inflammatory skin conditions.

In North Indian iconography, Shitala is often depicted with Jvarasura as her eternal servant.

Buddhism

In Buddhist legends, Jvarasura and Shitala are depicted sometimes as companions of Paranasabari, the Buddhist goddess of diseases. Jvarasura and Shitala are shown escorting her to her right and left side, respectively.

Temples and shrines in India

Haryana

At the Sheetla Mata Mandir Gurgaon in Gurgaon, Haryana, she is worshipped as the Kripi (the wife of Drona).

Punjab

In Punjab, the shrines of the sisters of Shitla are called "matya". There shrines cluster around the central shrine of Shitala. One of them is called Paharwali or of the mountain.

The shrines are situated on the banks of ponds. The shrine itself are made of some bricks and have no regular priests.

The most important shrines at which large annual fairs are held are at the shrines of Seel village in Patiala and at the shrine of Jarg village in Pail tehsil, Ludhiana district.

Jarag fair is one of the important fairs of Punjab that is held in Jarg. The fair is also known as Baheria Fair. It is organised in the month of Chaitra, in the honor of Shitala. On the day of the fair, the devotees of Shitala gather near the pond and scoop a portion of the earth to form a mound. The mound is revered as the shrine of the goddess.

Prayers and pujas are conducted at the Jarg fair. Sweet gulgula (jaggery cakes) are made one day prior to the fair and offered to the goddess on the day of fair. The sweets are then offered to the donkeys, which are the favorite of the goddess. Donkeys are specially decorated for the occasion, with potters cladding them in attractive colorful blankets. Some even put bells or conch shells and beads around their neck.

Temporary stalls are set up and the fair hosts cultural programmes.

Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, Shitala Devi's worship is especially popular among Chamar and Jatav communities.

List

Some of the notable temples:

• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Mand, Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh
• Sheetala Mata birthplace, Maghra, Bihar Sharif, Bihar
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Mehandi Ganj, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Pita Maheshwar Kund, Gaya, Bihar
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh
• Rejidi Khejdi Mandir, Kajra (near Surajgarh), Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
• Sheetala Chaukiya Dham, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
• Sheetla Mata Mandir, Gurgaon, Haryana
• Sheetala Mata Temple, Khanda, Haryana
• Shree Sheetala Mata Mandir, Adalpura, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh
• Shitla Mata Mandir, Jalore, Rajasthan
• Sheetala Mata Temple, Reengus, Rajasthan
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Garia, Kolkata, West Bengal
• Adi Shitala Mandir, Kalikapur, Kolkata, West Bengal
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Una, Himachal Pradesh, India
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
• Harulongpher Shitalabari, Lumding, Assam
• Shitala Mata Mandir, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
• Shitala Mata Mandir, Nagaur, Rajasthan
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh
• Shitala Mata Mandir, Nizambad, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Barmer, Rajasthan
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Bidhlan, Sonipat, Haryana
• Sheetala Mata Mandir, Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh
• Shitala Devi Temple, Gurgaon
• Shitala Maa Temple, Samta, West Bengal
• Shitala Devi Mandir, Mahim, Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Shitala Mandir, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
• Shitla Devi Mandir, Chembur, Mumbai
• Shitala Devi Mandir, Barad, Maharashtra
• Sheetala Devi Mandir, Ranibagh, Nainital, Uttarakhand
• Ma Shitala Mandir, Bakrahat, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal
• Aai Shitala Devi Temple, Chikhal Dongri, Virar, Maharashtra
• Sheetla Mata Mandir, Sonadih, Mau Nath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh
• Shitla Mandir, Munger, Bihar