The village of Shirgao dons a different
look during the annual Shirgao zatra which
is also known as ‘Dhonanchi zatra’. The
festival attracts more than a lakh of devotees
from over 500 villages of Goa, Maharashtra
and Karnataka. Undoubtedly one of the
main zatras of Goa, the special tradition
of the zatra is the treading of the coals by
dhonds.
“The festival has been celebrated since
the pre-Portuguese times and has been
dated back to more than 500 years. Goddess
Lairai is the known as the deity of the forest
and Shirgao, translates to ‘Shri’ – Laxmi’ or
wealth and ‘ Gao’ is village which means
the village of prosperity. Though the zatra
of Goddess Lairai is celebrated in Shirgao,
the residing Goddess is Sateri. While the
goddess of Lairai is in the form of a ‘Kalash’
or pitcher, Goddess Sateri is represented in
the form of an anthill,”elucidates Rajendra
Kerkar, a historian and environmentalist.
It is believed that seven sisters and one
brother made their way over the ghat region
from Maharashtra to Goa and they met
Goddess Shantadurga in Bicholim who told
them to go to Mayem and then proceed to
the villages of Goa. “The seven sisters are
Devi Mahamaya in Mayem, Devi Mirabai
also known as Milagres Saibinn in Mapusa,
Devi Lairai in Shirgao, Devi Morjai in Morjim,
Devi Anjadeep on Anjediva island, Devi
Kelbai in Mulgao and one brother, Khetoba
in Vainguinim,” adds Rajendra, who recently
authored ‘Natural Heritage of Goa’.
A month prior to the festival, the dhonds
maintain a strict vegetarian diet and stay
away from unclean objects. There is no fixed
number of dhonds from each village but
those who vow to take participant make it
to the festival. Ten days prior to the festival,
they get together in their respective villages
and reside in a place close to the river
known as ‘Tol’ and on the night of the first
day of the festival, the devotees await their
turn to walk on the holy path of hot coals.
This tradition of‘Agnidivya’, sees a number
of Dhonds walk across the hot charcoal to
the chants of ‘Lairai Saibinnichi Jaijaikar’ and
‘Shri Lairai Mata ki Jai’.
Ramchandra Gaonkar from Deulwada,
Morle in Sattari is 67 years old and has been
a dhond for more than 50 years. “Four
generations of my family has become
dhonds for the festival and this year too,
I will be taking part along with my two
sons. The Goddess has been very kind
to us and has healed me and my family
from every illness and has blessed us
abundantly. During this season, we are
actually busy collecting cashews but we
still take a break of one month and these
ten days to participate in the cultural and
religious celebrations,” says Ramchandra, an
agriculturalist and horticulturist.
