Thursday 28 Mar 2024

Anjediva feast: Devotees 'pray' to Parrikar for go-ahead

THE GOAN NETWORK | JANUARY 02, 2016, 12:00 AM IST

PANAJI

With the feast of Anjediva Chapel of Our Lady of Springs (Nossa Senhora das Brotas) just around the corner, devotees are upbeat that this year, with Manohar Parrikar as Defence Minister, they will be allowed to visit the island for the feast after a gap of 12 years.

Godfrey Gonsalves, who has been persistently been campaigning that the devotees be given access to the island once a year on the occasion of the feast, and has submitted an application at the office of the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, said that with the required checks, devotees will pose no security threat to the naval base.

“I have sought that the devotees allowed on production of a valid, government-permitted photo ID card, not carry any food stuff or water, leave their vehicles outside and any other conditions as may be imposed by the naval establishment.

Feasts on the island were celebrated ever since it was built, until the celebrations were abruptly stopped by the navy in 2004. But they relented that year and allowed persons to travel to the island with security checks. The following year, it was banned completely.

Since then devotees have been raising the issue with the Church authorities as well as the government to allow restricted access only on the feast day.

Anjediva island, which was the first territory Indian territory to be occupied by the Portuguese in 1502, four years after the arrival of Vasco da Gama and eight years before the conquest of Goa. It was also the last to be surrendered as it was liberated only only December 22, 1961 two days after Goa.

Even though the closest shore is Karwar, revenue wise, the island is under the jurisdiction of the South Goa collector.

The island has one church dedicated to Nossa Senhora das Brotas (Our Lady of Springs), whose feast is celebrated on February 2 annually, and a chapel dedicated to St Francis of Assisi, which now lies in ruins. The feast of St Francis of Assisi is celebrated on October 4 each year.

The Church bears the insignia awarded by Rome as the Mother Church. Besides its significance to Christianity being the island on which the Portuguese built the first church, it has also a monument atop the hill in memory of the seven Indian army soldiers who were killed on December 22,1961 as the Portuguese on the island were unaware that Goa was liberated two days earlier.

Civilians are allowed on the island every year during the Navy Day celebrations. “There’s no reason why we can’t celebrate the feast, with more stringent restrictions and checks,” Gonsalves said, sounding optimistic that this year the feast will finally be allowed.

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