Sheetala Maa শীতলা দেব

Sheetala Maa is a goddess who removes diseases, using prakritik elements. Sheetala literally means one who cools in Sanskrit. Sheetala is worshipped under different  names all through Bharat  and many other places in the world. Sheetala maa is mentioned in Tantric and Puranic literature to cure the disease and also mentioned in vernacular texts such as the Bengali 17th century Sheetala-mangal-kabyas, auspicious poetry.
Sheetala is primarily popular among the people of North east India, in many tribes and villages as a gram debi. In some traditions she is identified with an aspect of Durga and as the consort of Shiva. Sheetala is addressed with many names and Thakur rani, Bhagoboti chandi, Khar Chandali, Kshudro Bhairabi, kula mata Surpa Jogini, Jograni and is also related to the family of Matongi Maa. In Southern India Sheetala Maa is seen very closely related to the Goddess Karu Mariamman, as the goddess who removes small pox, and such diseases. 
  
  Sheetala Maa in Sree Vijaya Kali Ashram
Sheetala MaaSheetala maa is accompanied by Jvarasur (the fever demon), Oladebi (the cholera goddess), Ghentu-debota, (the god of skin diseases), Raktabati, (the goddess of blood infections and the sixty-four epidemics). Sheetala is represented as a young maiden crowned with a winnowing-fan (Kulo), riding a Donkey, holding a broom (to dust off germs and rogas) and a pot full of cold ganga water (to wash away and clean unnecessary health problems of the devotees). Among several tribal communities in Bengal, she is represented with slab-stones or carved heads. Sometimes, she is said to be carrying a bunch of neem leaves, an ancient Ayurvedic medicinal herb that is an effective remedy to most skin diseases to this day.
Sheetala is a form of goddess Katyayani, shakti Durga. She gives coolness to her children. According to Devi Mahatmya when a demon named Jwarasura gave bacteria of  fever to all the children, goddess katyayani took herself in the form of Sheetala to purify children`s blood and to destroy the bacteria of fever in blood. In Sanskrit fever means Jwar and Sheetal means coolness. Sheetala is also sometimes depicted with a shady woman called Raktavati, a wrathful goddess, (Possessor of Blood). She is often worshiped with Oladevi, another disease removing goddess. Worshipping Sheetala strengthens blood cells and blesses blood in all nerves in the yogic body. Oladevi is the goddess of cholera and the wife of the Asura Maya and is worshipped by people of Bengal. The Goddess is also known as Olaichandi.
Oladevi is believed to be the wife of Mayasura, the legendary king and architect of Asuras, Danavas. Devotees consider her to be the guardian deity against the any disease, protecting those who worship her. The Bengali term for cholera is ola-otha or ola-utha, a reference to the name Ola (one meaning of the word otha in Bengali is appearance). Oladevi is a paribar debota who assists maa Sheetala and is a combined form of Goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati, portrayed as a lady with deep yellow skin wearing a blue sari and adorned with musical ornaments. She is also known as Upanga Debata of Matongi Maa. She is portrayed with extended arms and seated with a child in her lap. The Muslims of Bengal call her Olabibi or Bibima from Olabibi Gan (Song of Olabibi), which states the story of the child of a virgin Muslim princess that disappeared mystically and reappeared as the Goddess, curing the sons of the minister of the kingdom and the badshah, the father of her mother. In one hand she holds and khatvanga, a magical staff that destroys the ailments of her devotees.
Jyesta devi, Goddess who protects the Home travels on a cat as a bahan is another form of maa Sheetala. Also known as Chaandali or Jesta Maa holds the Children in her lap and nourishes them. Worshipping Jyesta Debi protects children and blesses them with good healthy blood in the body. In tantric Buddhist  traditions Jvarasura and Sheetala are depicted sometimes as companions of Paranasabari Maa, the goddess who removes off diseases and is worshipped in the Vindhya region as a gram debota up to Tibet and China. Sheetala and paranasabari maa are sometimes worshipped as paribar debotas as upa and anga debotas of Maa Ugra Tara in the Shakteyic pantheon. In some images these deities are shown in the mandala of Vajra Jogini, Chinnamasta to cure diseases and to cleanse the yogic body for purification for Vajra tattva Sadhana. 
May Sheetala maa protect all devotees with excellent health, strong blood and purifying the yogic channels in the body respectively for their sadhanas. Along with her Sebokas and paribar, Maa Jyesta, Olaichandi, Chaandalini, Rakta Chandi, Raktaabati Kullajogini, Paranasabari, Ucchichsta Kkhudrinee and Ugra Tara, Maa Sheetala protects her children. On Friday, there are special archanas and pujas performed to Maa Sheetala with offerings of Sheetal Bhog and to receive the divine cool blessing.

Joy Bhavani                           Joy Kali                             Joy Tara

Shuba Vijaya.
Bhavani Tejasvi
Sree Vijaya Kali Ashram.


With the Blessings of Divine Mother
AT THE LOTUS FEET OF KALI
JAI BHAVANI