PONDA: In a quaint tradition that brings people of all ages together, the villagers of Ponda taluka celebrate ‘Dhendlo’ on the third day of Diwali every year. Carrying a small statue of Lord Krishna, called the Dhendlo in a wooden case on their heads, groups of villagers go door-to-door, chanting to the sound of drum beats.
The residents offer the devotees fruits, rice, coconut, and other food items that are later cooked and eaten by the participants of the procession, with the custom differing slightly from one village to the other.
Chants of ‘De Dhendlo, Paus Shenlo’, to mark the end of the rainy season, rent the air, as the villagers celebrate in honour of Lord Krishna, a God associated with pastoral life and cowherds. The villagers also worship cows, and in every courtyard, a miniature cowshed is crafted out of cow dung in front of the Tulsi Vrindavan. The villagers also craft an idol of Krishna out of hay and leaves and the ‘karit’ fruit (muskmelon) is used to symbolise the cows. Replicas of cooking utensils fashioned from cow dung can are also displayed in the cowshed.
