Shitala Devi

Shitala Devi also Sheetala Devi is a Hindu deity popular primarily among the people of North India and the Indian diaspora. She is identified with an aspect of Parvati, the consort of Shiva in elite literature. In general worship, she is invoked to get rid of small pox or chicken pox and to grant fertility or children. Some tribal shrines were eventually changed to temples dedicated to her. She is very similar to the South Indian deity, Mariamman.

Origin story

A prince, wishing to be blessed with a son, made elaborate sacrifices to propitiate Brahma. But something went amiss in the performance of rituals and instead of a son, a beautiful maiden arose from the sacrificial fire. Brahma named her Shitala, the cooling one. Shitala asked Brahma about her status in the world. He assured her that humans would always worship her, provided she carried on her seeds of the urad (black gram), signifying that she embodied the powers of this particular lentil. Shitala then expressed desire for a companion and was directed to Shiva. Impressed by her devotion Shiva agreed to give her a companion.

From the sweat of Shiva's asceticism was born a demon of prodigious size, who was cut into three pieces by Shiva. Brahma put him back together again, but the demon now had three pairs of arms and legs. He was given the name, jvarasura, or the demon of fever. Shiva assigned him to be Shitala's companion.

hitala and Small Pox

Shitala required a beast of burden to carry her load of lentils, so Jvarasura suggested an ass for the purpose. Shitala then disguised herself as an old woman and Jvarasura as a young boy. With their bag of lentils on the back of their ass, they visited all the divine beings. The lentils got converted into pox germs, and whoever they visited was afflicted with fever and small pox. Thus affected, the gods asked for her mercy and promised her that they would worship her, provided she went to the earth carrying her packload of germs with her.

Agreeing, Shitala descended to the earth. To display her prowess she first paid a visit to King Birat, an energetic worshipper of Shiva. Birat, though acknowledging her status as a goddess, refused to giver her precedence over Shiva. Shitala threatened him by apprising him of her power to inflict small pox, but the king did not budge from his position. Thus incensed, Shitala called seventy-five different types of the pox to her service, which wreaked havoc on the people of King Birat. But the king even then refused the citizens permission to worship her, the outcome of which was widespread epidemic and deaths. Finally the king, realizing his folly, relented and was miraculously restored to health, without any residual blemishes, as were all others who acknowledged her supremacy.

ymbolism

Shitala embodies both the disease and its remedy. She hates dirt, so the householder who wants her to visit his place to cure it of disease, especially small-pox, must first thoroughly clean it. For this purpose, the Great Goddess carries in her hands a silver broom. The winnow fan she holds in her upraised right hand is to collect the results of this cleansing operation and to sift the healthy grains from the diseased ones. The small bowl in the other right hand is to collect the rogue germs, which are then banished from the house. The cleaned house is to be ritually purified by sprinkling of Ganga jal (water from the river Ganges). She thus also holds a water pot in one of her hands.

References

*Kolenda, Pauline "Pox and the terror of Childlessness: Images and Ideas of the Smallpox Goddess in a North Indian Village" in P. Kolenda "Caste, Cult and Hierarchy: Essays on the Culture of India" (New Delhi: Folklore Institute, 1983) 198-221
* [http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=96&page=23 Sheetala Devi as a Tribal deity ]

External links

* [http://www.urday.com/fast2.htm Sheetala Devi and Small Pox]
* [http://www.religiousportal.com/SheetalaMataTempleGurgaon.html Read Details about Sheetala Mata Temple in Gurgaon]
* [http://www.indiantemplesportal.com/haryana/sheetala-devi-temple-gurgaon.html Sheeta Devi in Haryana]
* [http://www.buddhist-tourism.com/buddhism/india/pilgrimage/kaushambi.html Sheetala Devi as a Buddhist deity]
* [http://www.chennaionline.com/toursntravel/placesofworship/maha.asp Sheetala Devi in South India]