Fairs & Festival
Goa Sun,
Sand, Sea....
According to Hindu
January/February
(Magh) Mahashivratri
A
celebration honour of Lord Shiva held at all the principal
Shiva temple, such as the Rudershwar, Mangueshi, Nagueshi, Sri Madadev - Bhumika
and other temples.
Rantha
Saptami festival takes place in February at the
Mallikarujuna Temple.
Maruti-Zatra at
Shri Mahalakshmi Temple is
presiding deity of Panaji, Goa's capital city.
Mahalasa Jatra or
Vijayarathotsav (Chariot Festival) is celebrated at Mahalasa Temple of
Mohini in Ponda.
February/March
(Phalgun)
Shigmotsavor
or
Shigmo: All over Goa, Special
celebrations at Panaji, Mapusa, Vasco Da Gama and Margoa. A Spring
festival celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Phalgun in
March.It is a grand five day festival of colour, celebrated
distinctively in the villages, corresponding with Holi or Spring
Festivals. Shigmo is universally celebrated in Goa, but specially in
Panaji, Mapusa, Vasco Da Gama and Margoa.
Ghodemodni or Parade of the horse riders, is part of Shigmo and is found in Fatorpa
and Bicholim. Hypnotic and rhythmic music of drums and Whistles accompany
the martial dance, which Parades down the main street, imitating horses
and their riders.
Rombat takes
place on the second and third day of Shigmo. It is a Procession of men in
traditional dress carrying banners and umbrellas dancing to the music of
drums. Young boys wave green twigs, signifying the arrival of spring
Drama
Festivals form an important part of Shigmo with most villages staging
plays during the week.
Holi is
celebrated as
Gulal
or
Rangapanchami at Sri Damodar Temple in
Zambaulin.
February/March
(Phalgun)
The
three day festival of
Gade at Mahadev Bhumika Temple attracts huge crowds.
Kalas Utsav is celebrated on a major scale every alternate year at Sri Morjaee Temple
in Pernem. Visitors from Maharashtra and Karnataka attend the seven
day festivities which are socio religious occasions.
March-Apirl
(Chaitra)
Ram
Navami or the birthday of Lord
Rama is celebrated at Ramnath temple.
Chaitra
Purnima is celebrated at Sri Mahalakshhmi Temple at Panaji, and during the
nine days preceding the full moon , at Sri Vithal Temple in Sanquelim. It
is also Nagueshi, Chandranath, Cudnem and Mashem in Canacona.
Apirl-May
(Baisakh)
This
is home coming season for many Goan settled away from Goa. It is also the
fruit season and Feni making season. A distinctive Goan aperitif, Feni
comes from cashew apples. In addition it is toddy- tapping season.
May-June
(Jaith)
Mirg is on 6th June. It is the start of the Monsoon season. The Christian Mirg
is one day earlier. If the rains fail, prayers are offered to the Catholic
saints born this month-- St. Anthony, St. John the Baptist and St. Peter
and St. Paul. In Goa there is happy mingling of festivals and feast days
for the common good of all.
June-July
(Asadh)
Rainy
season with no major festival.
July-
August (Shravana)
Gokul
Ashtami or
Janamashtami is the Birthday of Lord Krishna. This marks the beginning of Goa's harvest
festival. At Narve village in Bicholim, people gather for pilgrimage from
far and wide.
August-
September (Bhadra-Pada)
Ganesh
Chaturthi birthday of
Lord Ganesh, the most important deity in the Konkan, and is celebrated all
over Goa. Thousand return to Goa for this festival, which is associated
with good Harvest.
Novidade In
each village, the first offering is is made to the church and
the paddy specially blessed. No farmer, will harvest his rice crop
before it is offered in a ceremony called 'Novidade' in which the
parish priest himself harvests sheaf of rice and returns with it to the
Church, Local people accompany him with music, fire works and Jubilation .
It is a true feast day for all. Women folk of Goa's earliest tribal
settlers perform a dance called Bhandup in half second half of the month.
August-
September (Ashwin)
Navarati
or the nine nights festivals associated with Lord Rama's Defeat of Ravana,
demon King of Lanka culminates in the grand festival of
Dusshera.
Dusshera is celebrated by devotees of the Mother Goddess as her festival. The
Sri Bhagavati Temple is Pernem has a fortnight's festivities on the occasion.
Special celebrations for
Navaratar
Utsav
are held at Shantadurga,
Nagueshi, Mahalakshmi and Ramnath Temples at Ponda and at Kalika Devi
Temples in Kasarpal. The Dhangar Dance is dance of worship performed
during this festival. The Kiran
Mahotsasv or religious
music festival takes place at Quepem in September and is an all
night celebration.
October-
November (Kartika)
Deepawali is the great festivals of lights . It is universally celebrated in Goa, in
homes, on the streets, in shops and of course, in religious places.
November-
December (Aghrana)
Kejagiri
Purnima could fall
early in lights. It is the full moon following Dusshera and at Mardol in
Ponda there are special celebrations to mark this auspicious day.
November-
December (Paush)
Malni
Purnima is the
festivals at Sri Devaki Krishna Temple at Marcel. The
Zatra of Shri Shantadugra is held at Dhargal in Pernem. The deity is taken out
of the temple in a colourful procession for the day. The annual Zatra of
Shri Shantadurga at Kunkoliemkarin at Fatorpa in Quepem also falls in this
month. Thousands flock to attend the festival from afar. Zatra in all Temples, of
special importance being at Mangueshi, Nagueshi, Ramnathi, Kavlem, Madki, Kundai,
Shiroda, Khandepar, Borim, Kapileshwari, Mulgaon, Fatorpa, Amona, Mashel,
Mala-Panaji, Mapusam, Velinga, Karmali, and Calangute.
The
Datta
Jayanti is celebrated
as the annual festival at Shri Datta Temple at Dattawadi, Sanquelim.
According
to Christian
January 6 ------ Feast of the Three
Kings at Reis Magos, Cuelim (Canasaulim) and Chandor.
February 2 ----- Feast of our Lady
of Chandelaria at Pomburpa.
5th Monday in Lent ---- Procession of all Saint of the Franciscan Third Order (only other besides Rome)
at Goa Velha.
1st Sunday after Easter --- Feast of
Jesus Nazareth at Siridoa.
16 days after Easter -- Feast of Our
Lady of Miracles at Mapusa.
24th June --- Feast of Sao Joao (St.
John Baplist).
24th August-- Festivals of Novidades
-- Offering of first sheaves of rice crop to the head of State.
1st Fortnight of October ---- Fama
De Menino Jesus at Colva.
3rd Wednesday of November --- Feast
of Our Lady of Rosary at Navelim.
3rd December --- Feast of St.
Francis Xavier, Patron Saint Goans, at old Goa. This occasion draws thousands of
faithful to Goa to participate in the religious event.
8th December --- Feast of our Lady
of Immaculate Conception at Panaji and Margoa.
25th December --- Christmas, all
over Goa with the customary Midnight Mass on gatherings and special Christmas
Eve and with prayers gathering and special Christmas festivals. A Goan will
leave his front door open during the festival as a gestures of generosity toward
all who may visit his home.
According to Muslim
17th Zilhaj (February) ---- Urus of Shah Abdullah at Ponda.
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