TEAM HERALD
PORVORIM: The feast of Our Lady of Milagres, which is a celebration of communal harmony, and acceptance of different beliefs, especially significant in a secular nation, was celebrated at St Jerome’s Church, Mapusa with grand festivities and religious fervour on Monday.
After the concelebrated feast mass in the morning, the procession of the statue was taken out in which large number of devotees participated. The festivities are spread over three days, interspersed with several cultural activities.
The Director of Spiritual Renewal Centre at Cruz dos Milagres, Old Goa, Fr Henry Falcao who was the main celebrant at the feast mass, highlighted the qualities of our lady of miracles and stated that the Mother Mary is the model of love and affection. He urged the congregation to lead a good life, which will please God.
Milagres Saibinn, as she is known in Konkani, is known to cure ailments. Hence many devotees both Catholics and Hindus lined up in the church to make a vow, to pour coconut oil over the statue of Our Lady of Milagres and offer wax figurines in repayment of favours received by them. Hindus consider Milagres Saibinn as the sister of Hindu deity ‘Lairaee’ in Sirgao.
The other attraction at the Milagres feast is the expansive traditional fair “Purumentachem fest” or feast at which to buy provisions for the long monsoon in the days before refrigerators and supermarkets were dreamt about. The onions, chilies, local salt, pulses and rice are missing this year. The advent of the electric mixer-blenders has taken its toll on the sale of granite grinding stones and steel utensils have reduced the presence of the earthen pots and pans. Cotton clothes for summer, shoes, belts, trinkets and toys are now the mainstay of the fair that now lasts more than the traditional three days. The traditional sweetmeats like kaddio-boddio, ladoos made of gram flour and cane jaggery and manna made of tapioca will move to Shirigao for the Zatra of Lairaiee on 23 April. The feast and the zatra come around in the same week or one lunar month apart.
The Parish Priest of St Jerome’s Church, Fr Francis D’Mello stated that the feast of Milagres is considered to be one of the unique manifestations of strong bond of communal harmony between Catholics and Hindus in Goa. The church feast falls on Monday following the third week of Easter. The people from different parts of Goa attend this feast to seek the blessings of Milagres Saibinn. Hindus consider ‘Milagres Saibinn’ as the sister of Hindu deity ‘Lairaee’ of Sirgao, Fr D’Mello said.
At a time when India is going through a phase of disturbances in communal harmony, and there is a raging debate on secularism, communalism and the Hindu Rashtra on one hand and the rise of ISIS, Boko Haram and Kashmiri separatists on the other, the feast of Milagris Saibinn is like an oasis of peace and harmony, a living example for others to follow.
MAPUSA: Every year, come summer, one of the major attractions in Mapusa is the feast of Milagres Saibinn. This feast is one that is rather unique in nature, as legend has it that Milagres Saibinn is the sister of the Hindu deity ‘Lairaee’ of Shirgao. This is a belief that is popular with people of all faiths.
When the traditional morning Mass comes to a close, a procession ensues, where a statue of Mother Mary is taken out to the church grounds, where a large number of devotees participate. The services for this feast are celebrated outside the church, under a specially erected pandal, in order to accommodate the large number of devotees.
Part of the devotion that surrounds the feast of Milagres Saibinn is the belief that she can and will cure ailments, causing many of her devotees across communities to make vows, pour coconut oil over the statue and offer wax figurines as tribute. The Shirgao zatra that is celebrated along similar time-frames is considered the celebration of the Hindu deity ‘Lairaee, the sister of Milagres Saibinn.
