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Fair & Festivals
of Goa |
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Uday Tours and Travel, leading Travel
Agent and Tour Operator, New Delhi, India.
|
According to Hindus
| January/February
(Magh) Mahashivratri |
| A
celebration honour of Lord
Shiva held at all
the Shiva temple, such as
the Rudershwar, Mangueshi,
Nagueshi, Sri Madadev -
Bhumika and other temples. |
| 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.
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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| August-
September (Bhadra-Pada) |
| Ganesh
Chaturthi birthday of
Lord Ganesh, the most
important deity in the
Konkan, and is celebrated
all over Goa.
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) |
| Navaratior
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,
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| 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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