Adpai’s River of Ganeshas: A Village, Seventeen Families, One Immersion

 

 

On the fifth day of Chovoth—Goa’s beloved Ganesh Chaturthi—the quiet village of Adpai in Ponda taluka awakens to a spectacle both intimate and grand. From early morning, families begin arriving from across Goa, returning to their ancestral homes. By evening, the narrow village lanes pulse with music, colour, and devotion as seventeen family Ganeshas begin their final journey to the river.

Adpai’s celebration of the festival is unlike any other in Goa. While most households across the state install and worship their own Ganesh idol during the festival, the people of this small village observe the occasion collectively. Seventeen kutumbs—large joint family lineages that today include numerous nuclear families—come together under one shared tradition. The Kurdikar, Khandeparkar, Borkar, Bandodkar, Mahalaxmikar, Pokle, Soshebhatkar, Khumne Bhatkar, Mardolkar, Lotlikar, Shivamba Lotlikar, Mangni, Khandekar, Khalche Mule, Varche Mule, Naik-Tari and Vasta families all gather here, setting aside the distances of modern life to celebrate their ancestral bond.

For many who now live elsewhere for work or study, Chovoth in Adpai is a homecoming. Old houses are freshly cleaned and decorated, their courtyards filled with relatives, laughter, and the fragrance of festive cooking. The air carries the familiar rhythms of devotional songs as preparations for the immersion procession begin.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the village’s tradition is the creation of the Ganesh idol itself. Unlike most homes where the idol is purchased, in Adpai it is sculpted from clay within the temple by a member of the Naik Kurdikar family. When the idol is ready, it is carried into the temple for the final ritual: the painting of the eyes. Locals believe that the moment the eyes are opened, accompanied by prayers, the clay form becomes imbued with divine life.

As dusk settles, the seventeen idols are brought together at the village’s Datta Mandap. The narrow streets fill with processions carrying the Ganeshas on decorated palanquins. Devotional songs echo through the lanes, while tableaux depicting mythological scenes—and sometimes even contemporary social themes—add colour and commentary to the celebration.

After a final communal prayer, the procession moves towards the water. In a scene that feels timeless, the idols are gently placed on canoes and taken out onto the Zuari River. One by one, the Ganeshas are immersed, their reflections briefly shimmering on the darkening waters.

The ritual marks the end of the festival—but also the reaffirmation of something deeper. In Adpai, Chovoth is not simply about worship; it is about returning home, renewing kinship, and keeping alive a tradition that binds generations together. For one evening each year, this quiet village becomes a river of Ganeshas—and a living testament to Goa’s enduring family ties.

 

 

Photos by Lynn Barreto Miranda / lynn.barretomiranda.com

 

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