A Hindu woman pours water on the feet of the priests, and venerates the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour during the procession.
Photo Credits: Louis Rodrigues
BELAGAVI
In an age marked by rising interreligious tensions and intolerance, the enduring bond between the Christian Goan settlers and Hindu communities in this village in the Upper Ghats region stands as a profound symbol of hope and resilience. Despite the divisive rhetoric and sporadic incidents that often characterise interfaith relations elsewhere, these two faith groups have quietly fostered a legacy of mutual respect and cultural exchange.
This bond was witnessed in the border village of Hosur in Chandgad taluka near Belagavi during the annual village feast. Set amid picturesque mountains on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, Konkani-speaking Goan settlers have lived in this village for generations, dating back to the migration during the Portuguese era. The Carvalhos and Dias families, who are mainly agriculturists holding sizable agricultural lands, live in harmony with their Hindu counterparts, taking part in each other’s social and religious rituals. This was witnessed during the procession after the feast mass.
Hosur has a chapel devoted to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, and the feast of the chapel is held during the first week of May each year. Coming under Uchgaon parish in the Diocese of Belgaum, most of the new-generation Hosurkars are now settled in Mumbai, Pune, Goa, and other places in India and abroad, but they return to the village for the village feast. After the feast mass, as Parish Priest Fr Simon Bhutelo and Fr Albert were carrying the idol of Our Lady in the procession, the women of the village came out, poured water on the feet of the priests, and venerated the statue.
Earlier, after the feast mass, the Hindu leaders of the village were felicitated for their contributions to the betterment of the chapel. After the mass, women were seen visiting the chapel to offer garlands and candles to the statue of Our Lady.
“This is an age-old tradition, and as far as I know, our elders used to take part in the functions of the Christians here, and vice versa. The 'saibinn' has been blessing us, and we have also received many favours after offering our petitions at her feet,” said a senior village leader.
Vincent Dias, president of the Pune Konkani Kristha Sabha, said that this interreligious harmony and camaraderie have existed since ancestral days. “Our ancestors, hailing from various comunidades in Goa, settled here, excelling in agriculture. We have been living in harmony since then. While the Hindus take part in all our functions and rituals, we too reciprocate the same,” Dias said.
Jerome Carvalho said that, along with Christians, a number of Hindus venerate the cross he has erected in front of his house at the entrance of the village.
As this spirit of harmony continues to shine, it offers a much-needed lesson: that even in an age of intolerance, peaceful coexistence is not only possible — it is already living in communities where the innocent villagers of Hosur have chosen understanding over intolerance."
