CUNCOLIM: The much-awaited feast of Our Lady of Health more commonly called Saude Saibinnichem Fest in Konkani will be celebrated at Cuncolim on February 2 with grandeur and solemnity.
Five masses will be celebrated in the morning on the feast day at 5, 6, 7:15, 8:30 and the High mass or Feast mass will be celebrated at 10 am with Ranchi Bishop Rev Theodore Mascarenhas being the main celebrant, said Parish Priest Fr Edmund Barreto.
The feast is celebrated in rotation by the 12 Vangods of the parish. Vangods being the original settlers of the area are also known as gaunkars. Initially, there were 8 vangods which later on increased to 12. This year the feast will be celebrated by the 10th Vangod and Wendy Gomes from Panzorconni will be celebrating it.
The unique Maddi or the celebration on the eve of the commencement of novenas was held on January 23. Cuncolim Maddi is unique because a picture of Our Lady is taken in a procession from the Church to Dandora with great solemnity and this procession attracts a large crowd even from neighbouring Assolna.
It is believed that many years back, a family distraught over the death of their only child who was a male, threw out all the Holy pictures from the house and left their abode. However, their neighbour picked up the picture of Our Lady and placed it in an open space for reverence and since then a framed picture of Our Lady is taken from the church to that open space even today as part of the Maddi celebration explained Manny Fernandes from Cuncolim,
Being an extremely popular feast, it attracts a large fair which lasts for even three weeks. Stalls selling furniture, sweets, games for youngsters are set up with even people from neighbouring villages selling their sweets.
While the entrance to the church is occupied by those selling sweets, potters also sell their clay items specially the traditional cunnim used for cooking and rooster shaped water storage pot.
The fair does cause a lot of problems for motorists as the highway gets blocked with the crowds visiting the stalls set up along its side. Cuncolim market gets overcrowded during the fair with stalls selling readymade clothes.
