GOAN TRADITIONS, FESTIVALS – PART 2
At Shri Gajant Laxmi temple in Volvoi, Dhulvat is celebrated about 10 days after the Holi Poornima. On the previous day of Dhulvat, a Tuesday, the villagers celebrate Gondhal for which the preparations start in the afternoon.
Guru has lunch at the Agrashala in the company of Bal Gopal for the last time. Then he wraps up everything and leaves the premises at about 5 pm. After visiting the other temples in Volvoi he goes to the bank of River Zuari where he sits on a rock deep in meditation.
The villagers search for him holding Chudtachi Chudi (a torch woven from coconut palm fronds. These Chudi are made specially for this occasion, by a family that has been assigned this task since ancient times. They bring the Guru in a procession to the temple and sing and dance to the tune of Dhol Tashe (drums and cymbals).
The procession first visits Rampurush Devool, the temple of the Saviour of Volvoi. The Guru lights Fulwat/Phulwat (cotton balls with a pointed wick at one end) on a copper platter. This is called a Chanarjyot and the devotees light their Chudis with the help of its flame.
On their way, they visit every temple in the village before coming to the courtyard of the temple of Shri Gajant Laxmi. Here, the arrangements for Homkund are made in a demarcated area with a few medium-sized branches of trees piled up one over another. They dance around the Homkund with the lighted chudio in their hands and chant slogans praising the Gods.
They take three Pradakshina (circumambulation) around it, dancing in rhythm to the Dol-Tashe and chanting aloud, “Hoi-Soi! Hoi-Soi!”. This chant/slogan is like a war cry in the Konkani language which is chanted to inspire the participants to charge ahead.
After this, they put the lighted Chudi in the Homkund to light a bonfire. The Guru stands in front of this bonfire of Chudi and prays for the wellbeing of the villagers. This celebration is called the Dhaklo (Lhan) Gondhal which means small Gondhal. Since it is dedicated to Goddess Ambabai they cry out slogans praising the Goddess Ambabai.
GURU DARSHAN
As soon as the Dhaklo Gondal is over, the Guru is taken back to his own house which he has not visited since Holi Poornima. After having a bath at home, he serves food to the villagers accompanying him.
On finishing their meals, the devotees bring the Guru back in a procession to the temple. He is made to sit under a tree to bless the crowd of devotees who queue up to take Guru Darshan (glimpse of the Guru).
According to the Hindu scriptures, the Guru is associated with God. That is why the people bow in respect to him while taking his darshan and gift him flowers, money or sweets. They touch his feet while he applies Vibhuti (ash) to their forehead. A Jalmi, who is a member of a tribe which performs religious rituals, sits next to the Guru. He pats each devotee with peacock feathers tied together in a bunch and held in his hand. Guru offers a Roth (a roasted bun made from rice) as a Prasad (offering) to each devotee. Besides the Volvoikars, devotees from the rest of Goa and the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka come to pay their obeisance to the Guru. [To be continued]
[The writer is an architect by profession and is passionate about festivals and traditions in Goa]
