Ahoi Ashtami 2025: Still confused whether to celebrate it on the 13th of October or 14th October, gain clarity here about the exact dates, meaning and significance of this pooja, मनाएँ अहोई अष्टमी व्रत श्रद्धा के साथ

In the culturally rich country of India, one more heartfelt tradition of Ahoi Ashtami or Ahoi Athe is about to be celebrated in a couple of days. This sacred observance of Ahoi Ashtami or Ahoi Ashtmi is celebrated mainly in the Northern parts of India by mothers for the long life of their children, for their health and peace.

This pious festival of Ahoi Ashtami is celebrated by praying to the revered Ahoi Mata (Goddess Ahoi). Ahoi Ashtami is an amalgamation of two words: Ahoi and Ashtami. Ahoi stands for Ahoi Mata who is considered the caring and nurturing Guardian or Mother who safeguards and protects her children. Ashtami stands for the eighth day as per the lunar placement.

Ahoi Ashtami is celebrated on the Ashtami or Eighth day of the new moon placement of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik. Krishna Paksha is the fading period or phase in the lunar context., and Kartik is the eighth month of the Hindy Calnedar which is generally the month of October or Novemver.

Ahoi Ashtami is generally celebrated approximately 8 days before Diwali Drik Panchang and around 4 days after Karwa Chauth, as all these festivals are governed by lunar observances.

Significance and Importance of Ahoi Ashtami

Ahoi Ashtami is a deep rooted emotional and heartfelt festival. This day is observed by mothers who pray with all their heart and all their feelings to Ahoi Mata to always look after their children. Mother pray to Ahoi Mata to provide health, wealth , safety, protection, divinity and prosperity to their children. It is also believed that if Ahoi Mata blesses the children, it will free them from any kind of lineage hereditary sins and will only bring positivity to the new and future generations.

The saga associated with why Ahoi Ashtami is celebrated is also very interesting and heart-warming. There was once a woman who was digging the earth for sowing seeds. In this process, a small lion cub which was hiding there came under her axe and accidentally lost his life. The Mother lion was very sad and pained about its cub’s death. The woman who was digging soil had seven sons. After the death of this cub, all of her seven sons lost their lives one by one and died. The grief-stricken mother called out to the divinity.

There was a sacred voice that told her that there was a way to revive the lives of her sons. She was directed to pray to Ahoi Mata, and thereafter feed fodder and food to cows and perform cow worship and Gau seva (serve the cows). Ahoi Mata was moved by the mother’s devotion and blessed her with those seven son’s life revival.

It is since this saga, that mothers understood that Mata Ahoi will bless their children. But as the women in the saga was blessed with her son’s lives, earlier only mothers who had sons kept the Ahoi Ashtami Vrat or Ahoi Ashtami fast. But with changing times and though processes, no matter if you are a son’s mother or a daughter’s mother, mothers fast on this day and pray to Mata Ahoi for long lives of their children, for their success, mental peace, good health and safety.

Ahoi Ashtami 2025: Date & Timings

There has been a bit of confusion about when to celebrate Ahoi Ahtami this year, because Ashtami is starting on 13th October and continuing till 14th October, 2025. Thus this year, Ahoi Ashtami will be observed on Monday, the 13th of October, 2025.

The important time and timelines for this day are as mentioned below:

Occurence or Happening	Time and Time Duration
Ashtami Tithi starts	12:24 PM, 13th October 2025
Ashtami Tithi ends	11:09 AM, 14th October 2025
Shubh Puja Muhurat time	5:53 PM to 7:08 PM
Sanjh (time to see and sight the stars)	6:17 PM
Moonrise	approx 11:20 PM

Generally those observing the day long fast, they sight the stars and break their fast after seeing the stars. But some mothers also wait till moonrise, pray to the moon and then break their fast. The Shubh Muhurat to perform Puja this year is from 5.53 in the evening till 7.08 in the evening. So, those performing the fast and puja, after they finish the puja at Shubh Muhurat, they can either break their fast after seeing the stars at around 6.17 pm or at around 11.20 pm if the are waiting for the moon to rise.

Puja Vidhi and customary Rituals of Ahoi Ashtami

You can find below the detailed description of all Puja Vidhi and rituals to be followed for smoothly performing the Ahoi Puja on Ashtami :

1. Prepare the worship or Puja place
   • Properly clean the puja place or place of worship.
   • Prepare a rangoli in front of Puja place.
   • Put a picture or idol of Mata Ahoi. As the AHoi Puja is observed on Ashtami, the picture should have eight corners which is popularly known as Ashta Koshthak.
   • Draw or portray face pictures of lion cubs which is a symbolic representation of Mata Ahoi’s children.
   • Put a Kalash, a traditional earther pot and make sure it has a earthen lid.
   • On top of the kalsh or beside the kash, place a karwa (earthern pot with a small opening on the side). This should be filled water. The side opening should be covered with Sarai which is a very thin brown needle like grass.
   • seven needle like lines of grass should also be offered to Mata representing the seven sons.
   • Buy diyas (small earthen lamps), incense, fruits and sweets in advance.
2. Morning ritual
   • Mothers should wake up way before sunrise and take a bath with head wash.
   • Prepare the puja or worship set up in such a way so that you face the deity towards east.
   • Vow to Mata Ahoi or take sankalp that you will fast to the best of your capability for the welfare of your children
   • Tie a moli or mouli which is a sacred red, yellow or orange thread when you take the vow.
3. Day rituals
   • It is traditionally a Nirjala Vrat, i.e. no food or water is to be consumed throughout the day
   • In some areas, it is not a Nirjala Vrat and mothers may consume fruits and water but no grains and salt.
   • Try to think only positive things throughout the day and avoid negative emotions of anger and jealousy. Read the Ahoi Mata Vrat Katha and recite and chant Mantras throughout the day to bring positivity.
4. Puja in the Evening & Arghya
   • Begin the puja that the Shubh Muhurat, this year it is between 5:53 PM to 7:08 PM .
   • Light the agar Battis and Dhoop (incense sticks), diyas and offer sindoor (vermillion) and fruit and sweets to Ahoi Mata.
   • Either read or listen to Mata Ahoi Vrat Katha or Ahoi Mata Vrat Katha.
   • After the puja rituals are done, wait for the stars to shine in twilight. This year the given time for breaking fast after looking at stars rise during twilight is 6.17 pm. This is called giving Saanjh or giving Arghya / Argh.
   • If you do not break your fast by looking at the stars during twilight and wait for the moon rise, this year approx. time of moon rise is 11.20 pm.
5. How to break your fast
   • After looking at stars or moon, whatever is your tradition and offering Arghya or Argh to stars or moon, mothers may break their fast or Vrat by having prasad (sweets or fruits).
   • Dan or Dakshina may be given to Brahmins (priests) and the needy which may contain fruits, grains and sweets.
   • Gau Seva or worship and feeding the cows is also considered auspicious.
6. Special rituals which may be optionally followed
   • Taking a holy dip in Radha Kund which is in the holy city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and offer special prayers to Maa Kushmanda who is one of the nine avatars of Maa Durga is considered especially auspicious for couples who are trying to be blessed with child. Maa Kushmanda is that form of Maa Durga who is known as the divine creator and thus she may bless with new life as parents to those who are seeking to be blessed for the same.

The Essence of Ahio Ashtami

Ahoi Ashtami the much-revered sacred festival is not just a day of observance and fasting but is an epitome of what a motherly love is about. A mother’s love is eternal, selfless, unshakeable, steadfast and devotional. This day represents that it has been truly said that as God could not be everywhere at the same time, so he sent mothers.

Ahio Ashtami shows us what a mother can do to protect her children and ensure her safety. This day gives everyone a chance to introspect about the bond between a mother and her children.