Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Katha

Dadi: "Beta Guddu, do you know that there's a special day when mothers pray and fast for the long life and happiness of their children?"

Guddu: "Like Karwa Chauth, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Similar, but this one is called Ahoi Ashtami, and it comes just a few days after Karwa Chauth. Let me tell you the story of why mothers observe this fast."

Guddu: "Yes, please!"

Dadi: "Long ago, in a village near a forest, there lived a kind woman who was blessed with seven sons. She loved her boys more than anything in the world."

Guddu: "Seven sons! That's a big family!"

Dadi: "It was! Now, one day, just before Diwali, this woman decided to fix up her house for the festival. She needed special soil to repair the walls, so she went into the forest with her spade."

Guddu: "Soil for the walls? That's different!"

Dadi: "In old times, houses were made of mud and clay, beta. The woman found a nice mound of soil and started digging. But what she didn't realize was that this mound was actually a hedgehog's den - a home where a mother hedgehog had her babies!"

Guddu: "Oh no..."

Dadi: "As she dug, she accidentally hurt the baby hedgehogs. When she saw blood on her spade, she was horrified. She had killed innocent little creatures without meaning to!"

Guddu: "That's so sad, Dadi. It was an accident, but still..."

Dadi: "The woman felt terrible. She took the soil she needed and went home, but she couldn't stop thinking about those poor babies and their mother."

Guddu: "What happened then?"

Dadi: "Within one year, all seven of her sons had vanished. People thought they had died. The mother was destroyed by grief. She believed this tragedy was because she had accidentally killed a mother's children, and now her children had been taken from her."

Guddu: "That's terrible! But it was an accident!"

Dadi: "True, beta. But our actions have consequences, even when we don't intend harm. The heartbroken mother confided in a wise old woman of the village, telling her everything - the hedgehog den, the accident, and her terrible loss."

Guddu: "Could the old woman help?"

Dadi: "She said, "There is hope. On Ahoi Ashtami - the eighth day before Diwali - you must worship Goddess Ahoi Bhagawati. She is an incarnation of Mother Parvati and protects all children. Draw a hedgehog on your wall, keep a fast, and pray with all your heart for forgiveness.""

Guddu: "Did the mother do it?"

Dadi: "On that special day, she followed every instruction. She drew the hedgehog's face on her wall. She fasted without food or water the whole day. And she prayed to Goddess Ahoi with complete devotion, truly repenting for what she had accidentally done."

Guddu: "And?"

Dadi: "The Goddess was pleased! She appeared before the weeping mother and, moved by her sincere repentance, blessed her: "Your sons shall return to you, and they shall live long, healthy lives.""

Guddu: "Really? All seven?"

Dadi: "All seven, beta! Soon after the goddess's blessing, her sons returned home - alive and well! The family was reunited, and the mother's joy knew no bounds."

Guddu: "That's wonderful! So Ahoi Mata really saved her children!"

Dadi: "Yes. And from that day, mothers began observing Ahoi Ashtami every year. They fast and pray to Goddess Ahoi for the protection and long life of their children."

Guddu: "How do they celebrate it, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Mothers draw a special image called Ashtakoshta - with eight sections - on the wall. Some draw a hedgehog beside it, remembering the original story. They place a pot of water before it, pray throughout the day, and break their fast only after seeing the stars in the evening sky."

Guddu: "After seeing stars? Why?"

Dadi: "The stars represent blessings from the heavens, beta. When mothers see those tiny lights in the dark sky, they pray for their children to shine just as brightly."

Guddu: "That's beautiful, Dadi. Does Mama keep this fast for me?"

Dadi: "*smiles* Every mother who knows this tradition does, beta. A mother's prayers have special power. The goddess, who is herself the supreme mother of the universe, listens especially carefully to mothers praying for their children."

Guddu: "What's the lesson in this story, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Many lessons! First, even accidental harm has consequences. We should be careful with all living creatures. Second, sincere repentance and devotion can heal even great sorrows. Third, a mother's love and prayers are incredibly powerful."

Guddu: "And the goddess listens!"

Dadi: "Always, beta. The divine mother never ignores the prayers of a loving heart. Now, next Ahoi Ashtami, shall we draw the image together and learn the prayers?"

Guddu: "Yes, Dadi! I want to learn everything about our traditions!"

Dadi: "That's my good boy. These stories and practices connect us to thousands of years of wisdom and love."