Shisharanni: Spine-chilling tales of spirit & sacrifice

the goan I network
CANACONA 
‘Shisharanni’ one of the rich traditional rituals that takes place every third year at the time of the traditional Shigmo festival was held on Sunday at Shri Mallikarjun Temple, Avem-Khotigao in Canacona.  
The ritual, which some term as blood-chilling, sending shivers up the devotees’ spines is a practice, where rice is cooked with human blood, by keeping the cooking utensil upon the heads of three men who lay on the ground to form a traditional cooking place. 
The word Shisharanni derives its name from two words- ‘shisha’ which is a kind of tree and ‘ranni’ which represents a traditional cooking place.  
The ritual is linked to three ‘gades’ who are believed to be representing God on earth, for a short period of time. 
The heads of these chosen three gades are covered with a wet cloth and layers of plantain trunk.
The three men then lay down on the floor to form a traditional cooking place.   They are rendered unconscious and an earthen pot is placed upon the three heads.
The branches of the Shisha tree are burnt under the pot, creating a replica of a traditional cooking stove. Even when the burnt shisha is kept close to the heads of the three gades, they are not affected as it is believed by locals that they are filled with God’s spirit and are protected by God. 
After the rice is cooked, another person uses a sword to create a cut in the crown of the head of another gado involved in the rituals. The blood that emerges from this wound is then added to the cooked rice. The slitting of the head and the use of blood represents a sacrifice.  
Finally, the cooked rice is thrown at the people. However because the rice is cooked using sacrificial blood, it is considered bad luck and people move away when it is thrown at them, to avoid the blood stained rice falling upon them. 
Shri Mallikarjun Temples are located at three different places in Canacona“ at Shristhal , Canacona, main temple and Gaodongrim village and the rituals of Shisharanni happen once in three years at each of these temples.
People from different parts of Goa as well as believers from Karwar and nearby throng to the temple for blessings.