The five-day Shri Chamundeshwari Devi Jatra of Vargaon-Pilgaon, Bicholim, will conclude on January 16
RAMESH SAVAIKAR
Shri Chamundeshwari Devi Jatra is popular in Goa as well as in the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Belgavi region of Karnataka. Celebrated from Pausha Shuddh Chaturdashi to Pausha Vadya Trayodashi, the festival which commenced on January 12 will conclude on January 16.
According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga took various avatars to kill demons. Among the demons she killed were Chand and Mund. Hence, she got the name Chamundeshwari. The idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari was brought from Goa Velha to Vargaon more than 500 years ago during the Inquisition in the Portuguese ruled Goa. Every year, during this celebration, a large number of devotees, especially from Goa Velha and Agassaim throng to Vargaon, make vows, and seek blessings of the goddess.
Various rituals and cultural programmes mark the celebration. Every day, rituals like ‘abhishek’, ‘ranga puja’, prayers, ‘puran vachan’ and palanquin procession are held. On January 14, ‘mahabhisheka’ to ‘panchayatan devtas’, ‘mahapuja’, ‘mahaarati’, ‘mahaprasad’ and the main festivity of ‘Navka-Vihar’ (locally called ‘sangod’) was held. As part of the ‘sangod’, the idol of the deity was seated in a palanquin and taken for a round on a canoe in the sacred lake located in the temple premises. After the ‘kalotsav’ was performed, ‘dashavtari’, a drama, was presented.
On Wednesday morning, ‘Dahi- Handi’ will be the special attraction. ‘Gopal Kalo’ will mark the celebration. Later, religious rituals in the temple and cultural programmes will be held. Thursday, being the concluding day of the jatra, rituals, palanquin procession and the Marathi drama ‘Namayachi Dasi Saint Janai’ will be presented by local drama artistes.
