Why will people in several parts of India eat stale food on March 11?

We often read the idea that “Food is thy medicine.” It comes from the famous saying attributed to the Greek physician Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” And when we look at the food structure of India, it actually works. For instance, the celebration of Sheetla Ashtami, also known as Basoda or Basora, involves people eating stale food from the previous day, which acts as the medicine to prepare the body for the summer months. Scroll down to read the details.

It is a Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Sheetla Mata, the deity believed to protect devotees from diseases like smallpox, infections, and seasonal illnesses. The festival is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) of Krishna Paksha in the month of Chaitra, usually a few days after Holi. The word "Sheetla" means cooling, which symbolizes the goddess’s power to calm fevers and protect people from epidemics. Traditionally, she is prayed to protect the families from contagious diseases and the festival reflects ancient practices of maintaining hygiene and seeking divine protection during seasonal changes when infections were common.

The most important ritual of this festival is that people don't eat fresh food on this day. Traditionally, a set of food is prepared the day before at night (Saptami), and then the next morning the food is offered to the goddess and then consumed. This food is known as Basoda or Basi Bhojan.

Traditionally, poori, pua, sweet rice, chana, halwa, and dal are prepared on Saptami.

The festival starts with an early morning puja ritual for Sheetla Mata and then the cold or stale food is offered to her. She is also offered neem leaves as they are known for their medicinal and purifying properties.

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