Shirgao Jatra

Shirgao is the holy place of goddess Lairai devi, its very old and famous temple.The annual jatra associated with this  shrine features unusual customs and rituals drawn from the area's tribal past.
One of the most important and interesting jatra is the shirgao jatra of Lairai devi. Held annually either in the month of April or May in the mining village of Shirgao, when thousands of devotees of devi Lairai descend on the small town. This jatra is in honour of goddess lairai who was said to be one of the sister of Milagiri saibin who married with christan God. She had also a brother called Khetoba.
 The architecture of the temple is unique.Thousands of followers flock to the temple each year to pay homage to the goddess.

To prepare for the jatra, those who wish to be a dhonds they have to keep themself away from food, drink etc. for five days and follow a strict dietary. They also keep themself away from fish ,drink etc. for a month.They have to cut themselves away from the daily routine of life. First they have to take a bath and eats only while the body is still wet.They have to keep their feet clean and covered with sandels all the time, because an accidental contact with impurity would burn them during the fire ordeal.
This is one of the more famous and more unusual jatra celebrated in Goa. Hundreds of people from the villages in  surrounding areas, also take part in these celebrations.
The festival begins early in the morning and continues throughtout till sun dawn.The devotees take a bath and walk all the way uphill to the temple to worship goddess. At late midnight  the devotees perform a frantic dance inside the temple. Next a fire is made using a huge pile of wood kept in a large clearing near the temple.
The final and the most spectacular part of the jatra then begin. In the early hour of the morning when the fire has died down,the raking of the coal begins. The dhonds walk on the holy path of hot coals. Around 4 a.m, the actual ritual starts ,with the devotees running through the hot coals carrying their sticks with the name of Devi Lairai.It is said that the fire  does not harm to the devotees who walk calmly through the embers.

Tulsi Lagna

The Tulsi Lagna or Vivas was celebrated at the end of the festival of diwali and is called as moteli  diwali in Goa. Diwali is one of the most important Hindu festival of Goa. No marriage ceremony  will be held before Tulsi Lagna.
A common sight in Goa in Hindu houses  is a Tulsi Vrundavan. Someone have colourful and well decorated ones, while the other will  have a simple clay  pedestal. During cravats, matoli is also erected in front of the Tulsi Vrundavan with variety of fruits.
On the occasion of Tulsi Lagna, the marriage of the Tulsi  plant held. Tulsi plant as a bride and sugarcane as a groom. Dino Badi represents as dhedo and tamarind as dhedi and tadmad represents as the people.
The marriage ceremony is performed by the villagers of our village after performing  the marriage  of our village temple tulas. Two man's hold antarpat in there hand and one man singing a marriage  song then the man of the house were doing  pooja. And after that chirmulyo is distributed among all people who were  present for marriage ceremony. And after that married women sitting in  front  of the tulas  and burning Jodya. "Jodya ", celebrations  begins  with the fasting for  ladies, who fast for three days.
The preparation for tulsi lagna  start with cleaning the  tulas with a fresh coat of paint  and decorating  it. Different  types of  Rangoli designs are drown around  the tulas, surrounding  is also given a fresh look specially we use cow dung  cake.
So on this way we celebrated tulsi lagna or Vivas with great  joy and  happiness.

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi , the most important Hindu festival  of Bhadarapada [ August september ] .This is the birthday of lord Ganesh. It is the celebration of elephant headed lord Ganesha in which we enjoy traditional Hindu dance like fugdi . Without the knowledge of the family ,by a relative or close friend at the door of the house, prior to Ganesh's birthday.        

The Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festival  of over India and holds a special place in the hearts of Goan people.it is an occasion of fun , a time of cleaning  and decorating the place of worship of the elephant headed Goa.

Ganesha is the lord of power and wisdom. He is the eldest son of lord shiva and parvati and the elder brother of kartikeya . Lord Ganesh is worshipped in many Avatars , eight of them are very much famous. Following are the some common name of lord Ganesh Asta Vinayak , Mayurashwar , Ganesh,  Siddhi vinayak , Varad vinayak , Vighnaharta , Ballaleshwar ,Chintamani , Mahaganapati and Girijatmak.

There are many legends surrounding his birth and his elephant headed origin which was heard by me from my grandmothar ,  father ,mother etc and even I read it and watch movies also.

Once upon a time the Goddess Gauri , while bathing aerated Ganesh a out of the mud of her body and after that she place him at the entrence of the house. She told him that not to allow anyone to enter while she went inside for bath. But at that time lard shiva was returning home but Ganesha stopped him at the gate Ganesha told him that I can 't  allow you because I give promise to my mother . so you have to wait till my mother came but shiva became angry and cut off Ganesha' s head .

When Gauri came she became angry and ordered  Shankar to get back her son, then Shankar ordered his servants means Nandi and others to cut off and bring the head of any creature who met you first they went but on their mission they found only an elephant so than the lord shiva joined the elephant 's head on to the body of Ganapati . Lord Ganesh has a mouse for his vehicle so Mushakraj means mouse is called as the Ganesha  vahan . His vehicle, a mouse, reflects how much importance a wise man gives to the smallest of life forms.
Ganapati Bappa is a great lover of sweets and fruits. The worship of Parvati in the form of Gauri during Ganesh Chaturthi and a coconut symbolises Shiva.
Days before celebrations, we were busy preparing decorations, painting , cleaning house etc.

                                                                                       

Ussapacho Shigmotsav

Shigmo festival in our Goa  is a colour festival celebrated in month of (Phalgun) March. The first day of Shigmotsav Holi is celebrated with colours like neel and gulal, we celebrated this festival with lots of fun and enjoyments. But all people celebrated it in a different form. In my village this festival is  celebrated with great joy and happiness.' Chavato '(a place of God) at that place one festival is celebrated called 'shigmo'.At the first day of Shigmotsav Holi is celebrated with colours like 'neel' and  'gulal', this festival is celebrated with lots of fun and enjoyments.  But all people celebrated it in a different style.
After the next day 'Korulyo' is celebrated. 'Korulyo' means ten to twelve years two boys are keeping fast.Putting 'nath',wearing 'kapad',putting flower in their hair.And then from Sateri Temple to the 'chavato' the people of our village brought them lifting on  their neck by dancing. Small childrens were also dancing with them by putting fancy dress.It's really good to watch people enjoying by wearing different fancy clothes and having a great time and fun. Many peoples and relatives are coming at our place to enjoy our Shigmotsav.After dancing they keep them on a ground  of temple. so after that married women or the married girls from our village coming with coconut, rice and flower and puttings this things in their 'kapad' means they were filling 'oti',then they doing there puja.
At the end of this festival one man become an thiefs mother means in our word we called him as 'choranchi aawai'.Then he went outside the chavato by wearing saree, along with them the small childrens also going.At that time they suppose to stile someones cashew nut, so when they were returning at chavato they should bring the branches of the cashew nut tree along with cashew nut. So in this way our first day of Shigmotsav were came to an end.

Second day of shigmotsav Ghodemodni is celebrated. At that time two mans  arecoming in each house with the horse mask, for that we called Ghode. First of all they were going to the seven mankars house means who were gaonkars and than they went others houses.  From 4.00 pm to 12.00 am they completed all houses.And at the last they were coming to our place because my place was close to the Chavato. So they come last at my place. After doing pooja they went at the place called Zar. At that place one varul of snake was their . So they should take a bath then both of them give water to that varul . After doing this they got Bhar and from that place to our Chavato they coming with a dancing. Along with them our village people were also dancing. So this program was ended at 2: 30 am. So among all festivals which we were celebrated sigmotsav is my favorite one.We celebrated this program with great joy and happiness.