Worship of Goddess Shitala. No hot food eaten this day.
Shitala Satam is the day Gujarat worships Shitala Mata, the goddess whose very name means "the cool one". She is revered as the goddess who soothes fevers and heals diseases like measles, chickenpox and smallpox, especially in children. On this day mothers pray to her for the health and protection of their families. The festival comes the day after Randhan Chhath, when all the food was cooked in advance.
The most striking custom of Shitala Satam is that no fire is lit and nothing is cooked fresh. The family eats only the cold food prepared on Randhan Chhath, a practice that honours the cooling, calming nature of the goddess and gives the hearth a day of rest. Women wake early, take a cold water bath, visit the Shitala Mata temple, and offer cooled food, water and prayers. It is a simple, caring festival rooted in the wellbeing of the home and especially of its children.
Shitala Satam 2026 is on Thursday, 3 September 2026, the day after Randhan Chhath.
Shitala Mata is the goddess of coolness, so the family eats only cold food cooked the day before on Randhan Chhath, lighting no fire. This honours her calming nature and gives the hearth a day of rest.
Shitala Mata is the goddess revered for soothing fevers and healing diseases like measles, chickenpox and smallpox, especially in children. Mothers pray to her for the health and protection of their families.