Ahoi Mata Vrat Katha, Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Stroy, Ahoi Ashtami Story.
Once in a city there lived a businessman. He had seven sons who were married and happily living. The businessman had a daughter. Once during the Krishna Paksh Ashtami of Karthik month all the eight women, seven daughter in laws and the daughter went to fetch mud from a nearby forest. A cub of a Lion died unexpected while the daughter was digging for mud. The Lion was angry and cursed the daughter that she would not have any children.
The daughter listening to this went to the wives of her brother and pleaded everyone to bear the curse instead of her. The wife of the last brother agreed and took the curse on her. Each time she was pregnant a son would be born and die within seven days.
She was very unhappy and consulted a Brahmin for a remedy. The Brahmin suggested that she should worship a Black Cow and look after the Cow. From next day itself, she started serving the Black Cow. The Cow which was satisfied with the way the daughter in law was serving her asked her the reason for performing the service.
The daughter in law replied that, she took on a curse of the Loin and hence was not able to have children and all the children born were dying within seven days. She asked the Cow to help her in having children. The Cow replied that it is possible only by Ahoi Mata or Goddess Ahoi and she lives after the seven oceans and so it is very difficult.
The daughter in law pleaded with the Cow and made the Cow agree to take her to Goddess Ahoi. The Cow and daughter in law of the business man set out to meet Goddess Ahoi. On their way once they sat under a try. The daughter in law saw that a snake was about to eat the children of a eagle and immediately killed the snake and put the dead snake under a basket.
The eagle (Garuda) on seeing the blood marks near the tree thought that the daughter in law of the businessman under the try had tried to kill its children and attacked her. The daughter in law of the businessman stopped the eagle and explained the whole story. She showed the dead snake as evidence.
The Eagle was pleased and asked her if the eagle could be of any help to her. She replied that, she and the Cow are in a journey to visit Ahoi Mata who lives beyond the seven oceans and asked if the Eagle could help them. The Eagle readily agreed and immediately increased its size. Both the cow and the daughter in law of the businessman mounted the eagle and reached the abode of Goddess Ahoi Mata.
There the daughter in Law pleaded with Ahoi Mata who was pleased with her worship and ordered the Lion to remove the curse on the daughter in law of the businessman. Ahoi Mata also granted the daughter in law of the businessman all her dead sons. She also advised the daughter in law of the businessman to perform Ahoi Mata Vrat and to do the Udyapan. So that she can live happily and with children.
Taking the boon, the daughter in law of the businessman returned home to see all her dead children alive and to the correct age they should be. She was very happy and she immediately prayed to Ahoi Mata.
From that day onwards she never missed performing the Ahoi Mata Vrat and lived happily ever after with children and grand children.
