Ahoi Ashtami Puja Vidhi · अहोई अष्टमी पूजा विधि

How mothers keep the Ahoi Ashtami fast for their children: the picture of Ahoi Mata, the silver syahu, the katha, and the arghya to the stars in the evening.

How the puja is done

When

Ahoi Ashtami falls on Kartik Krishna Ashtami, about eight days before Diwali and four days after Karva Chauth. Mothers fast through the day and do the puja in the evening, when the first stars appear; see the Ahoi Ashtami page for the date.

Ahoi Mata

Draw Ahoi Mata on the wall with geru (red ochre), with a porcupine (seh) and her young beside her; many families use a printed picture instead.
Many also worship a silver Ahoi, called syahu, strung on a thread or chain.

Samagri

A lota of water with a karva on it; many use the same karva as on Karva Chauth
Roli, akshat and milk for the syahu, a lamp, and sweets
A bowl of rice, radish and water chestnuts (singhara) placed before Ahoi Mata

The puja

Bathe in the morning, and keep the fast through the day for your children's long life and wellbeing.
In the evening, worship Ahoi Mata and the syahu with roli, akshat and milk, and light the lamp.
With the rice, radish and water chestnuts before her, listen to the Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Katha, or tell it.

Arghya to the stars

When the stars appear, offer them arghya with water from the lota, with rice.
Then break the fast.

These steps are written in our own words; each appears in at least two of the published sources linked below, and steps found in only one source are left out. Puja customs differ by family, region and tradition; your family priest or family custom comes first.

About this text

Ahoi Ashtami, also called Ahoi Aathe, is a fast that mothers keep for the long life and wellbeing of their children, mainly in north India. It is unusual in being broken at the sight of the stars rather than the moon. This page gives the observance as the published guides listed below describe it. Customs differ by region and community: follow your family's way where it differs.