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Chicken pox, also known as ‘f ેચક’ in Gujarati, is a disease in which red spots or rashes come out on the body. The disease spreads due to infection of the varicella zoster virus. In India, especially in various regions including Gujarat, the disease is called ‘mother’. The reason behind this is religious and cultural beliefs. Let’s learn about the tradition of calling Chickenpox ‘mother’ and the interesting story behind it.
What is chicken pox?
Chicken pox is an infectious disease, the symptoms of which are red spots, itching and sometimes fever on the body. The disease spreads from one person to another through air, touch or contact with an infected person. This disease is more common in children, although it can also occur to adults. Apart from modern medicine, this disease is also seen in India from a religious point of view.
Why is it called ‘mother’?
In India, chicken pox is considered a form of ‘colds’. Sheetla is a form of Goddess Durga, which protects against diseases and diseases. In Hinduism, Goddess Sheetla is considered a symbol of purity and health. It is believed that Goddess Sheetla holds a broom in one hand and a vessel of holy water in the other hand. With this broom, they remove diseases and purify the body with holy water.
In many parts of India including Gujarat, when a person gets smallpox, people worship Goddess Sheetla Mata. During this time, many people follow special rules, such as eating cold food, maintaining cleanliness in the house and going to the temple of Goddesses and praying.
Story of smallpox’s mother and chicken pox
There is a popular myth that connects smallpox to the mother suffering from smallpox. According to this legend, in ancient times there was a demon named Damarasura, who used to kill children by giving them high fever. To save the terror of this demon, Mata Katyayani took the form of Goddess Sheetla. He used to enter the body of children and protect them. When smallpox entered the mother’s body, red spots appeared on the children’s body, which were symptoms of chicken pox. These spots were an indication that the mother was fighting the disease inside her body and curing the child.
Cultural and religious importance
The temples of Sheetla Mata are very famous in Gujarat and on the day of Sheetla Satam, people go to worship the Goddess in large numbers. At the time of smallpox, people maintain peace at home and also donate in the name of Goddess. In addition, many people recommend smallpox patients to use neem leaves, as neem is considered the holy tree of the mother of smallpox.
Modern perspective
Today, treatment and vaccines are available for chickenpox due to progress in science and medicine. However, chicken pox in villages and small cities in India is still considered religiously revered and is considered a form of ‘mother’. This belief reflects the cultural diversity of India and the influence of religion. Thus, where the tradition of calling smallpox a ‘mother’, on the one hand, reflects religious faith, on the other hand it also reveals the prosperity of Indian mythology.