UDAY SAWANT
VALPOI
The Shigmo festival has been celebrated with traditional fervour all over the State, but the celebrations will be extra special at Keri-Sattari this year.
For the first time in 21 years, the sounds of the traditional Shigmo will reverberate in Keri-Sattari on Tuesday and preparations for the festival have been going on at the Shri Sateri Kelbai Ajoba Devasthan, where the Shigmo will take place, since the past many days.
The festival will begin with the celebration of Holi and thousands of devotees are expected to participate in the Shigmo festival in Keri, which will go on for the next five days.
According to sources, there had been disputes among the Mahajans over religious issues in 1998, prompting authorities to suspend the traditional Shigmo festival at Keri since then.
There are five Mahajanas in the area and they include the Halid, Gawas, Gaonkar Rane and the Majik. Religious activities were closed for 21 years due to differences between the Mahajans and a dispute in this regard was pending in court. Due to the disputes, the Shigmo festival was stopped in 1998 and was not celebrated for the next 21 years.
During the occasion of Gudi Padwa last year, Sattari taluka Joint Mamlatdar had directed the executive committee of the Shri Sateri Kelbai Ajoba devasthan to start the religious practices at the temple.
Acting on the directives of the joint mamlatdar, the executive committee decided to start the rituals and the Shigmo festival is seen as part of the rituals at the Shri Sateri Kelbai Ajoba devasthan.
This year, preparations were made to celebrate Shimgo festival after religious and traditional activities of the temple were started through the executive committee. However, a petition has been filed in the court by the Gaonkar community of Mahajans objecting to the celebration and it is unsure if the Gaonkar community will participate in the Shigmo festival. Incidentally, the Sati festival will also be celebrated in traditional fervour on the third day of the Shigmo festival. During the Sati festival, the traditional Sokarati song will be presented by the participating Mahajans.
