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Goa Temples Usher In Harvest Season With Dussehra
21 Oct
Summary
- Dussehra celebrations marked the start of Goa's paddy harvest season.
- Temples held rituals including processions and the 'gold-grabbing' ceremony.
- Devotees exchanged Apte leaves, symbolizing wealth and brotherhood.
Dussehra festivities concluded across Goa, ushering in the paddy harvest season. This annual observance integrates temple traditions with agricultural and community life. In Canacona's Shristhal, Shree Mallikarjun Devasthan featured a palanquin procession and the ritualistic 'looting' of Apte leaves, symbolizing gold, which were then distributed as prasad. Devotees exchanged these leaves, embracing each other to convey goodwill.
Similar vibrant celebrations occurred in Bicholim taluka. At Shri Mahamaya Kalika Devasthan in Kasarpal, festivities included processions and a 'gold-grabbing' ritual at Simer. The ceremonies culminated with devotees receiving the first corn of the new paddy harvest. Numerous other temples in Bicholim, such as those dedicated to Shantadurga and Chamundeshwari, also observed Dussehra with unique traditional processions.
