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.