Team Herald
PONDA: Religious fervour has enveloped Kavlem with hundreds of devotees visiting the Shantadurga temple and 530 priests performing rituals and chanting mantras for the historical four hundred fiftieth anniversary of installation of Shantadurga idol.
Special religious pandals have been erected in temple premises to celebrate the occasion.
The programme commenced on November 25 and will conclude on December 4. A special committee has been formed to oversee the entire celebration. The committee is named as Shree Shantadurga Saardh Chatushatabdi Mahostav Samiti.
The idol installation ceremony of godess Shree Shantadurga at Kavlem is completing 450 years in 2016. The original idol was installed at a temple in Keloshi, Salcet, but the same was shifted to present temple at Kavlem in the sixteenth century.
The idol was ceremoniously installed at the present temple in November 1566. To commemorate this momentous event the Shantadurga temple committee is organising a grand celebration.
According to the temple committee President Riddesh Sukhtankar, the celebration includes several religious rituals, anushtan, cultural programmes and daily mahaprasad during the celebration.
All the four heads of Gaud Saraswat Samaj, which includes Gaud Padacharya Mutt, Gokarn Mutt, Kashi and Chitrapur Mutt would be present on December 2 to grace the occasion.
The mahasaba in the presence of Shreemat Shivanand Saraswati Swamiji, Shreemat Vidyadhiraj Teerth Swamiji and Shreemat Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji will be held on December 2, at 5 pm. The Celebration will conclude on December 4.
