All arrangements made to hold the popular zatra from today
The President of the Bodgeshwar Temple, Anand Bhaidkar placing the “golden stick” next to the diety at a ceremony performed in the Mapusa temple on Wednesday.
Photo Credits: Agnelo Pereira
MAPUSA
Mapusa is all decked up to hold the popular zatra in Bardez at the Bodgeshwar Temple which will be celebrated on Thursday, even as a stick made of gold worth Rs 67 lakh was offered to the deity on the eve of the zatra which is celebrated as the day of installation of Shree Dev Bodgeshwar deity.
Several people including industrialists and politicians have willingly donated to mould the “golden stick” which was tucked next to the deity by the President of the Bodgeshwar Temple, Anand Bhaidkar.
Locals believe that Dev Bodgeshwar who was the ‘rakondor’ (protector) was always moving around with a stick and therefore the deity always sports a stick in one of its hands.
The temple president informed that the “golden stick” will be kept next to the deity only on the days of the jatra (festival) and on all Sundays in the month of ‘shravan’.
On Wednesday morning, the “golden stick” was brought to the temple and after performing the rituals it was placed next to the deity.
A large number of devotees thronged to the temple to witness the unique installation of the “golden stick”.
Deputy Speaker and local MLA Joshua D’Souza, Mapusa Municipal Council President Shubhangi Vaigankar, Curtorim MLA Alex Reginald, MLA Kedar Naik, BJP State President Sadanand Tanavade and other devotees visited the temple and received the darshan.
Meanwhile, all plans have been put in place to hold the zatra in an organized way.
While parking arrangement has been done in at least three different spots, temporary outposts of electricity, police, traffic police and the municipality have been set up at the site.
The temple committee informed that permission has been issued to set up around 800 stalls near the temple.
