Indore: Prayers offered on Sheetala Saptami

Seven days after Holi, Sheetala Saptami was celebrated in the city on Wednesday. Devotees worshipped Goddess Sheetala to protect their children from diseases specially chicken pox and small pox. This festival is also known as ‘Basoda’, which refers to eating food cooked a day before. The food prepared a day before was first offered to Goddess Sheetala with prayers to keep family members healthy.  The food prepared included puri, sabzi, pakodi, papdi, besan chakki and a popular summer delicacy of Mewar – oliya.  Oliya is prepared by adding boiled rice to curd and adding cardamom powder, raisins, and dry fruits. It is prepared both sweet and salty.