The Homkund Festival: Fire, Faith, and Tradition on Chorao Island The Homkund Festival—also known as Homkhand or Homkund Utsav—is a distinctive and spiritually charged fire-walking ritual held annually on Chorao Island in Goa as part of the Shigmo festivities. At its heart lies an intense ceremony in which local men and boys walk barefoot across […]
Sheni Uzo at Molcornem
Sheni Uzo at Molcornem On the first full moon night after Shigmo, the remote village of Molcornem in Quepem hosts a unique and ancestral village ritual to celebrate the festival, their founding fathers, and their beliefs. In a fast-changing world defined by the use of modern technology, one may be left bewildered as […]
Lairai Zatra in Shirgao
Lairai Zatra in Shirgao One of the most looked forward event in the Hindu Calendar of religious festivities is the fire walking held at Shirgao, near Assanora in the Bicholim Taluka. This festival is in celebration of the deity Sri Lairaie. Though Sateri is the presiding deity of Shirgao, goddess Lairai gained popularity […]
Konnsanchem Fest (Harvest Festival)
Konnsanchem Fest (Harvest Festival) The Harvest Festival is celebrated all over the world in different ways and our little state is no exception. In Goa, the festival is celebrated in almost all villages as a sign of gratitude to the Almighty for bestowing the farmers with a bountiful harvest. Steeped in history – […]
Touxeachem Fest at Telaulim
Touxeachem Fest at Telaulim Touxeachem Fest, which translates to ‘Cucumber Feast’, is celebrated with religious fervour and age-old rituals at St Anne’s (Santana) Church in Telaulim, near Goa Velha. Over many generations, this picturesque village in Tiswadi has attracted thousands of devotees from across the state. Grandparents Day is celebrated on July 26th all around […]
Sao Joao Boat Festival in Siolim
Sao Joao Boat Festival in Siolim It is the feast of St John the Baptist on June 24th. On this day young men around Goa jump into wells to retrieve gifts thrown in by villagers. This celebration is called Sao Joao, one of the more famous Christian feasts in the state. The festivals […]