Goddess Shitala Mata - Who Cures Chickenpox Lot n° 18

Specifications: Watercolor on Paper Artist: Kailash Raj 7.0 inches X 10.0 inches This exquisitely drawn four-armed donkey-riding female divinity is one of the numerous aspects of goddess Kali worshipped all over the rural belt of India as Shitala Mata ? perhaps Kali's most widely worshipped form. The protector of granary, commander of winds and giver of ample rain, good crop and abundant food, Shitala Mata has thousands of shrines devoted to her many of which are sites of days' long fairs. On Nava-ratri and Nava-Durga every Shitala Mata temple transforms into a fair-site. Hardly a village in the country would be without a Shitala Mata temple ? whatever its status. The shrines of Shitala Mata are at least on the outskirt of a village, otherwise in deep forests. During the month of Asadha, when monsoons become due, village people gather around the temple of Shitala Mata, and while the women folks cook food ? usually large size heavy loaves made from unleavened wheat floor, 'roat' as they call it, males sing hymns in her praise praying her for giving them good rains and crop. If in a particular year monsoons are late or fail, the village temple of Shitala Mata becomes the site of such 'roat' serving and singing of hymns for many days in continuation. Till recently, ailing ones ? those having poxes in particular, appeared at her shrine praying for recovery, and after the ailment was overcome made sacrifice ? whatever its form, a simple 'roat', cock, goat? Animal sacrifice ? now quite rare or replaced with some token act as cutting a goat's ear, was made during the night. Such things are still practised by illiterate and backward sections of village population. It is commonly believed in villages that during the black nights Shitala Mata emerges from her temple and roams around looking for her preys, obviously the evil forces. However, with such things in mind and due to her terrifying look villagers, particularly women