yah vrat chaitra mas ke krishn paksh men ashtami ya lokachar men holi ke bad parne vale pahle somvar athva guruvar ko bhi kiya jata hai. shukravar ko bhi iske pujan ka vidhan hai, parantu ravivar, shanivar athva manglvar ko shitla ka pujan n karen. in varon men yadi ashtami tithi par jae to pujan avashya kar lena chahie. is vrat ke prabhav se vrati ka parivar jvar, durgandhyukt fore-funsiyon, netron se sanbandhit sabhi vikar, shitla mata ki fanusiyon ke chihn adi rogon tatha shitla janit doshon se mukt ho jata hai. is vrat ke karne se shitla devi prasann hokar apne bhakton ko ashirvad pradan karti hain. har ganv, nagar tatha shahar men shitla ji ka math hota hai. math men shitla ka svarup bhi alg-alag tarah ka dekha jata hai.
shitlashtakam men shitla mata ko rasabh (gardabha-gadha) ke upar savar darshaniya rup men varnit kiya gaya hai. atah vrat ke din shitlashtak ka path karen. vrat ki vidhi: shitlashtami vrat karne vale vrati ko purva viddha ashtami tithi grahan karni chahie. is din suryoday vela men thande pani se snan kar nimnalikhit sankalp karna chahie: mam gehe shitla rog janitopadrav prashaman purvakayurarogyaishvaryabhivriddhaye shitlashtamivratmhan karishye. is din shitla mata ko bhog lagane vale padarth meve, mithai, pua, puri, sag, dal, mitha bhat, fika bhat, maunth, mitha bajra, bajre ki mithi roti, dal ki bharva puriyan, ras, khir adi ek din purva hi sayankal men bana lie jate hain. ratri men hi dahi jama diya jata hai. isilie ise basaura ke nam se bhi jana jata hai.
jis din vrat hota hai us din garm padarth nahin khaye jate. isi karan ghar men chulha bhi nahin jalta. is vrat men panchon ungli hatheli sahit ghi men dubokar rasoighar ki divar par chapa lagaya jata hai. us par roli aur akshat charhakar shitlamata ke git gae jate hain. sugandhit gandh, pushpadi aur anya upcharon se shitla mata ka pujan kar shitlashtakam ka path karna chahie. shitla mata ki kahani sunen. ratri men dipak jalane chahie evan jagaran karna chahie. basaura ke din pratah ek thali men purva sandhya men taiyar naivedya men se thora-thora saman rakhakar, haldi, dhupabatti, jal ka patra, dahi, chini, gur aur anya pujnadi saman sajakar parivar ke sabhi sadasyon ke hath se sparsh karake shitla mata ke mandir jakar pujan karna chahie.
chote-chote balkon ko sath le jakar unse mata ji ko dhok bhi dilani chahie. holi ke din banai gai gulri (barkulla) ki mala bhi shitla man ko arpit karne ka vidhan hai. chairahe par jal charhakar puja karne ki paranpra bhi hai. shitla man ke pujnoprant gardabh ka bhi pujan kar mandir ke bahar kale shvan (kutte) ke pujan evan gardabh (gadha) ko chane ki dal khilane ki paranpra bhi hai. ghar akar sabhi ko prasad evan moth-bajra ka vayna nikalakar us par rupya rakhakar apni sasuji ke charan sparsh kar dene ki pratha ka bhi avashya palan karna chahie. iske bad kisi vriddha man ko bhojan karakar aur vastra dakshinadi dekar vida karna chahie. yadi ghar-parivar men shitla mata ke kundare bharne ki pratha ho to kunbhkar ke yahan se ek bara kundara tatha das chote kundare mangakar chote kundaron ko basi vyanjnon se bharakar bare kundare men rakh jalti hui holi ko dikhae gae kachche sut se lapet kar bhige bajre evan haldi se pujan karen.
iske bad parivar ke sabhi sadasya dhok (namaskar) den. punah sabhi kundaron ko git gate hue shitla mata ke mandir men jakar charha den. vapsi ke samay bhi git gate hue ayen. putra janm aur vivah ke samay jitne kundare hamesha bhare jate hain utne aur bharakar shitla man ko charhane ka vidhan bhi hai. pujan ke lie jate samay nange pair jane ki paranpra hai. kisi ganv men ek burhiya mai rahti thi. shitla mata ka jab basaura ata to vah thande bhojan se unka kunde bharakar pujan karti thi aur svayan thanda bhojan hi karti thi. uske ganv men aur koi bhi shitla mata ki puja nahin karta tha. ek din us ganv men ag lag gayi, jismen us burhiya man ki jhopri ko chorakar sabhi logon ki jhopriyan jal gain, jisse sabko bara duahkh aur burhiya ki jhopri ko dekhakar bara hi ashcharya hua.
tab sab log us burhiya ke pas ae aur iska karan pucha. burhiya ne kaha ki main to basaude ke din shitla mata ki puja karke thandi roti khati hun, tum log yah kam nahin karte. isi karan meri jhopri shitla man ki kripa se bach gai aur tum sabki jhopriyan jal gainn. tabhi se shitlashtami (basaure) ke din pure ganv men shitla mata ki puja hone lagi tatha sabhi log ek din pahle ke bane hue basi padarth (vyanjn) hi khane lage. he shitla mata! jaise apne us burhiya ki raksha ki, vaise hi sabki raksha karna. prachlit git: meri mata ko chiniye chaibarau, dudh put deni ko chiniye chaibaro. kaun ne maiya int thapayin, aur kaun ne ghorau hai garau.. shrikrishn ne maiya int thapayin, dauji ghorau hai garau. meri mata ko chiniye chaibarau, dudh put deni ko chiniye chaibarau.
git gate samay kramshah shrikrishn aur shri dauji ki jagah apne parivar ke sadasyon ke nam bhi bar-bar gaven. kori-kori kuliya masani darbar, pujan ri shri krishn ki saun. kori kori kuliya masani darbar.. basi bhojan se hi shitla mata ki puja vaishakh mah ke krishn paksh ke kisi bhi somvar ya kisi dusre shubh var ko bhi karne ka vidhan hai. vaishakh mas men ise burha basaura ke nam se tatha chaitra krishn paksh men basaura ke nam se jana jata hai. jyeshth mas ke krishn paksh ke do somvaron aur sardiyon ke kisi bhi mah ke do somvaron ko bhi shitla mata ka pujan striyon ke dvara kiya jata hai, parantu chaitra krishn paksh ka basaura sarvatra manaya jata hai.