The month of August in Goa is symbolic of ‘novidade’ or newness, as it marks the season when the paddy crop approaches maturity and the first sheaves are harvested. This fresh harvest tradition is honored across Goa’s parishes through a thanksgiving ritual known as Konsachem Fest. During the festival, the parish priest blesses a marked paddy field, and a bundle of these sheaves is later distributed in church—one to each family—who place it on their home altar, replacing last year’s sheaves which are burnt.
Among the many celebrations, the feast at Raia in South Goa stands out. Held annually on August 5 (Feast of Our Lady of Snows), it is regarded as the most prominent observance. Other parishes celebrate at different dates in August: Rachol holds it on the Sunday following August 5, Aldona on August 6, Sinquerim on August 10 (Feast of St. Lawrence), while most parishes mark it on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption. The final major celebration occurs on August 24 in Betalbatim, on the Feast of St. Bartholomew (moved to the following Sunday if the date falls on a weekday). Taleigão, however, holds the distinction of celebrating first in Tiswadi, marking the new harvest annually on August 21.
This tradition traces its roots back to 1510, when Portuguese commander Afonso de Albuquerque first arrived in Goa. After being initially welcomed, the Portuguese were soon overpowered by Adil Shah’s forces and forced into retreat. During this hardship, the villagers of Taleigão courageously supplied food to the starving Portuguese fleet stranded near Britona. Grateful for their support, Albuquerque rewarded Taleigão with the privilege of being the first village to reap and bless the year’s paddy harvest at what became known as the Festa da Espiga.
The village’s parish church, Igreja de São Miguel Arcanjo, founded during the tenure of Bishop João de Albuquerque, houses six altars, the main dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament with St. Michael Archangel venerated above it. Over the centuries, the church has been served by Dominican friars, diocesan clergy, and underwent a major restoration in 1972 funded by Arthur Viegas, for which he was honored by Pope Paul VI.
The harvest feast continues to be organized by the gãocar families of Taleigão’s nine traditional clans (vangodds): Abreu, Almeida, Falcao, Faria, Gomes, Luis, Martins, Mendonca, and Viegas. Each year, one family takes on the responsibility for the feast of both St. Michael and the harvest. On the morning of the feast, a brass band awakens the village with the alvorado (dawn music), followed by a procession led by the parish priest and feast president, carrying the statue of St. Michael to the fields. There, the priest blesses the crop, and with a silver sickle, the president cuts the first sheaves, which are carried back to the church and offered symbolically during mass.
The following days continue the tradition:
On August 22, the feast president distributes beaten rice (fôu) house-to-house among gãocar families.
On August 23, a portion of fôu is first offered in church to the Padre Vigario.
On the final day of festivities, a 14-member group including the president and the representatives of the nine 'vangodds', along with the three-member comunidade managing committee visit the Sé Cathedral, Old Goa, and present the newly harvested paddy sheaves at the high altar, where a special mass is celebrated.
Taleigão’s religious and cultural heritage spans three parishes, Durgavaddo, St. Inez, and Panjim, dedicated respectively to St. Michael, St. Agnes, and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The very name Taleigão is thought to mean either “flat village” (tala + gão) or “big village” (thor-gão). Its age-old agrarian community structure, the comunidade, was composed of gãocar families who owned and managed village lands collectively as shareholders in a unique self-governance system.
‘As part of the feast celebrations, on the feast day parishioners of the church once organized dhirios (bullfights) at 3:00 pm, inspired by the enthusiasm of Dr. Rémigio Pinto, a well-known figure from Taleigão’, recalls Glenda Dcosta from Taleigão. However, the practice came to a halt after bullfights were banned in Goa in 1997. The prohibition, imposed by the Bombay High Court (Goa bench) and later upheld by the Supreme Court, put an end to the tradition.
Historically, the feast was celebrated in the comunidade hall, established with village funds and inaugurated on August 21, 1961, by Governor-General Manuel António Vassalo e Silva. To this day, the harvest rituals of Taleigão remain deeply tied to its communal traditions, faith, and gratitude for abundance.