the goan I network
VASCO
The Shree Mahalasa Narayani Temple Verna celebrated its annual “Deepotsav” and “Sangod” festival on Sunday, attracting huge crowds to the event.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also visited the Mahalasa Narayani Temple at Verna and offered prayers.
He was later adorned in traditional priestly attire and participated in the annual Deepotsav and Sangod celebration at the temple.
Sawant also participated in carrying the palanquin of the Goddess around the temple and also boarded the Sangod (Canoe) ferrying the Goddess in the temple.
Speaking to media later, CM Pramod Sawant said he was happy to be given the honour of participating and leading the annual programme. “This is one of the oldest temples in Goa and it has now been rebuilt and is gaining a lot of fame.”
“The Mahalasa Narayani Devi has showered tremendous blessings in this area because a temple that existed over 450 years ago was rebuilt into such a beautiful structure here and if there is any assistance required for this temple, the Goa government will be there to help,” said Sawant.
Pradip Shet and his family, who have been celebrating the Sangodotsav for a number of years, said: “If any place can rightly claim to be the first place where Goddess Shri Mahalasa Narayani came to Goa, then it is Varenyapur, now known as Verna.” “For centuries, there existed a temple dedicated to the Goddess until it was razed to the ground by the Portuguese invaders in 1567. History says that many of her devotees took away her idol and established it in a new temple at Mardol to escape the persecution by the Christian crusaders.”
“The temple was later rebuilt in Verna and this is now known as Old Mardol,” said Shet.
Stating that this is the 16th year of the Sangodotsav, Shet said when the temple lake was blessed, they put forth a proposal of having a Sangod festival at the site.
“Our family celebrates this Sangod Utsav in this temple. This is the number one Sangodotsav in Goa and sees the highest number of people to witness this Sangodotsav in the entire Sangod functions held in different parts of Goa,” said Shet.
