Fairs and Festivals of Goa – With the majority of the population belonging to different religions, Goa has scores of festivals –Hindu, Christians as well as Muslim that is celebrated the year around with the same gusto and fervor albeit with a Goan flavor. The festivals are filled with music, dance, cultural events, exotic cuisines, colours and laughter’s, all of which together make Goa a unique destination.
Table of Contents
January-February
Mahashivratri – Mahashivratri, celebrations in honor of Lord Shiva are held in all major Shiva temples such like Rudreshwar, Mangueshi, Nageshi, Sri Mahadev – Bhumika and others temple.
Ratha-Saptami – The Ratha-Saptami festival is held in February at Mallikarjuna Temple.
Maruti-Zatra – The Maruti-Zatra of the Sri Mahalakshmi Temple is significant because Mahalakshmi is the presiding deity of Panaji, the capital of Goa.
Mahalsa Jatra or Vijayarathotsav (Chariot Festival) – Mahalsa Jatra or Vijayarathotsav (Festival of Chariots) is celebrated at the Mahalsa Temple in Mohini, Ponda.
Feast of the Three Kings at Reis Magos (January 6): On this day large crowds of people go to a hillock in Cansaulim where the arrival of the three Kings who bear gifts to Infant Jesus is depicted in a colorful manner. It is followed by a grand feast. It is also celebrated in a smaller scale at Chandor (Salcette) and Reis Magos (Bardez).
February-March
Shigmotsav or Shigmo: Corresponding with Holi or Spring Festival is the five-day festival of Shigmotsav or Shigmo. Celebrated all over Goa on the full-moon day in March, with much gay and abandon, temple “Yatras” are held and processions are carried out accompanied by traditional Goan dances and modern floats parades depicting various scenes of mythology.
Shigmo festival : A part of the Shigmo festival, Ghodemodni or the parade of the horse riders is celebrated mostly in Fatorpa and Bicholim. Hypnotic, rhythmic music of drums and whistles accompanies the battle dance, which mimics the procession of horses and riders through the main streets.
Rombat : Rombat is a group of men in traditional costumes holding banners and umbrellas and dancing to the sound of drums. Young boys wave the green branches to announce the arrival of spring. This festival takes place on the second and third days of Shigmo.
Drama festivals : Drama festivals too form an important part of the Shigmotsav with most villages staging their own plays during the week.
Rangapanchami (Gulal): In addition, there is the Rangapanchami (Gulal) which is celebrated on the fifth day of the Shigmotsav. A symbol of rejoicing, on this day people throw gulal on each other as a sign of full-hearted greeting.
Kalas Utsav : Celebrated on a major scale once in every three, five, seven, or nine years at Sri Morjaee Temple in Pernem is Kalas Utsav. A week long festival, people from Maharashtra and Karnataka also participate in this festivity. Similarly, the three-day festival of Gade at Mahadev Bhumika temple also attracts huge crowds.
Festival of Gade : People irrespective of their faith also participate in large number in the celebration of the Urs of Shah Abdullah which is celebrated at Ponda every 17th Zilhaj (February).
Feast of our Lady of Chandelaria at Pomburpa – February 2
March-April
5th Monday in Lent: Procession of all Saint of the Franciscan Third Order at Goa Velha. The only place in Christendom, other than Rome , to celebrate this feast, the Statues of the saints are taken out in a grand procession on colorfully decorated palanquins on this day. All festivities begin only after the solemn High Mass.
Gudhi Padwa : A day of great festivity and rejoicing, Gudhi Padwa heralds the advent of the Hindu new year and is considered as one of the most auspicious days by Hindus. This is one of the three and half days in the Hindu Lunar calendar, who’s every moment is considered auspicious. According to Brahmananda Purana, God Brahma created the world on this day and it was also on this day that Shri Rama had freed the people from the tyranny of Bali . To celebrate this occasion, people put up Gudhi (symbol for victory or victory flag) in their courtyards. A new cloth is tied on to the Gudhi, a metal or silver vessel is put on to it and a garland of sweets is hung on it. On this day, people get up early, put new cloths and clean their houses, decorating them with intricate rangoli designs. They offer prayers and distribute prasad comprising of tender neem leaves, tamarind, ajwain, gram-pulse and jaggery.
Chaitra Purnima : Chaitra Purnima is celebrated at Sri Mahalakshmi Temple at Panaji, and during the nine days preceding the full moon, at Sri Vithal Temple in Sanquelim. It is also widely celebrated at Nagueshi, Chandranath, Cudnem and Mashem in Canacona.
Ram Navmi : Ram Navmi or the birthday of Lord Rama is observed on the ninth day of the waxing moon of the month Chaitra (March-April). Celebrated to rejoice the birth anniversary of Lord Rama who was the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Ram Navami is a nine day festival which starts from the beginning of the Hindu New Year.
On this day, the temples are decorated, and the images of Lord Rama are adorned with flowers. The day starts with chanting the Vedic mantras dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
Some devotees fast for nine days while others observe a strict fast only on this day.
The Ramayana extolling the glory of Rama, are recited. People of all castes and creeds participate in these gatherings to listen to the stories and their explanations offered by the learned.
It is further believed that listening to the story of Rama cleanses the soul while meditating and chanting his name is believed to ease the pains of life and lead one to moksha, or liberation. Fairs are organized in various places. Lord Rama’s birthday is celebrated with great happiness and is believed to bring peace of mind and happiness to the people. The biggest celebration takes place at the Partgal Math in Canacona in south Goa where thousands of devotees gather to take part in the festivities.
April – May
Feast of Jesus Nazareth and the Feast of Our Lady of Miracles : The home coming season for many Goan settled away from Goa . It is also the fruit season and Feni making season- a distinctive Goan aperitif that comes from cashew apples. The Feast of Jesus Nazareth and the Feast of Our Lady of Miracles is celebrated with gay abandon.
May-June
Celebrated at the beginning of the Monsoon season, Mirg is a Christian festival wherein prayers are offered to the Catholic saints born this month–St. Anthony, St. John the Baptist and St. Peter and St. Paul.
Lairai Jatra: One of the famous and more unusual Jatra (Hindu temple festival) celebrated in Shirgao – a small town in Bicholim taluka, east of Mapusa, the Shirgao Jatra is famous among worshipers and tourists alike for walking over hot coals raked by huge bonfires. Celebrated in the early part of May, thousands of devotees of Devi Lairai descend on the small town to perform their religious rituals and poojas. The festival begins early in the morning and continues throughout the Larai Jatra day. Those participating in the event take a ritual bath in special water tanks located near the temple and then walk all the way uphill to the temple as an act of penance, endurance, and worship of the Goddess.
During the night frantic dance sessions take place accompanied by rhythmic drum beats and chanting around a massive bonfire with the devotees touching the holy fire with their sticks. This continues till the wee hours of the morning when the raking of the coals begins. The devotees then await their turn to walk on the holy path of hot coals and when the ritual begins the devotees run through the hot coals carrying their sticks and shouting the name of Devi Lairai. The Jatra ends when the sun rises from the distant mountains.
June-July
The monsoon feasts of St Anthony (June 13), Sao Joao (24) and Saints Peter and Paul (June 29) which are celebrated with traditional fervour and pomp at Siolim and Caranzalim.
Chikhalkaka: An unusual festival that is celebrated only in the small town of Marcel , Chikhalkaka (Mud Festival) is a festival that is celebrated on the 11th day of the Hindu lunar month of Aashadh (June–July). A collection of various games that Lord Krishna is supposed to have played in his childhood, Chikhalkaka is about getting close to Mother Earth, and is celebrated when Goa ’s open spaces are full of slush due to heavy rains.
July- August
Gokul Ashtami or Janmashtami as it is more popularly known is celebrated as per the Hindu calendar and it usually falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of ‘Bhadrapada’ i.e August-September as per the Julain calendar. The birthday of Lord Krishna, Gokulashtami is a community celebration whereby people visit the local Krishna temples, which are specially decorated and lit for the occasion. A special ritual of the day is enacted by the local youth who form human pyramid to reach the pot full of curds tied to a rope high above the road and break it. Janamashtami also marks the beginning of Goa ‘s harvest festival. In the village of Narve in Bicholim, people from far away have gathered for a pilgrimage.
Nag Panchami: Nag Panchami is a festival that is celebrated in the honour of the Snake God- Shesha Nag. In Hindu mythology, snakes have a special significance- the thousand-headed snake Ananta is Vishnu’s couch and also holds up the earth, while snakes play an ornamental role in the case of Shiva. According to the Bhavishya Purana, when men bathe the snakes with milk on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of Shravan, they ensure freedom from danger for their families. Believed to be one of the most auspicious days of the entire year, Nag Panchami is celebrated with much gusto during the monsoon season.
Patolleo (snakes and worship): On this day, people visit snake temples and worship them.. In the rural areas, the day generally begins with the pooja of a mud replica of a snake. Then there could be singing of “artis” by the men, while the women dance the exuberant ‘fugddi’. A small jug of milk and some flowers are sometimes placed near the hole and if the snake actually drinks the milk it is considered very lucky for the devotee. The traditional Goan sweet called “patolleo” is made on this day and the people generally abstain from ploughing or digging in the field as a symbolic gesture of protecting the snakes.
Raksha Bhandan: One of the most popular and eagerly awaited festivals by people of all ages, Raksha Bhandan is a festival that celebrates love and affection between siblings.
Celebrating Raksha Bandhan on the full moon day of the month of Shravan (July-August) provides siblings with a unique opportunity each year to express and commemorate memories of their love, devotion, intimacy, trust and friendship.
‘Raksha’ means protection and “Bandhan” means bondage, and when a sister ties a sacred thread (called Rakhi or “Raksha-Sutra”) Raksha Bandhan around their brother’s wrist, she shows her loving attachment to him and to his brother, extending his wrist forward signified his protective hand.
Goddess Lakshmi binds rakhi in the hands of Bali – Lord of Demons with the hands of Draupadi and Krishna; from Puru accepting Alexander the Great’s wife as his sister, to Chito’s widowed queen Rani Kanawati (Rani Karnawati) presented rakhi to Emperor Humayun to help him save the reputation of Rajputs Ladies, mythology and Indian stories tell many love stories between brother and sister.
For Raksha Bandhan, girls put a lot of emphasis on making or buying the best rakhis for their brothers. They are busy preparing cakes and traditional dishes. After a first bath and adoration of God, the sister offers “aarti” to her brother and ties the sacred thread around his wrist.
The sister adorns her brother’s forehead with the traditional tilak (cinnabar). The older brother gives a present to the younger sister after tying the rakhi. This gift symbolizes the blessing of a brother to his sister.
August-September
Feast of Novidades: Presentation of the first sheaf of rice to the Head of State
Harvest-related festivals are numerous in August-September. .
Celebrate Hindu and Christian festivals. While Hindus celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi, many Goans return to their hometowns to celebrate the Christian festival Novidade, during which sacrifices are first made in church and rice is specially blessed.
No farmer harvests his crop of rice until it is displayed in a ceremony known as “Novidade”, in which the priest himself harvests the rice and returns to the church. Traditionally, the village of Tarigao enjoyed the privilege of the first harvest. A festival of joy and merriment, with music and dancing as part of the
Bonderam Festival festivities: Every year on the fourth Saturday in August, a festive atmosphere surrounds the small island of Divar on the day the Bonderam Festival becomes famous.
The day creates a carnival like atmosphere, with boys and girls engaging in mock battles brandishing “fotashes” (toy weapons made of bamboo poles) as they attempt to bring down their opponents’ offensive flags. The melodious music floats through the city, and the colorful floats accompanied by young people in colorful clothes make a beautiful picture.
September – October
The Navarati festivals – The Navarati (nine nights) festival is associated with the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana, the demon king, culminating in the great Dusshera festival. One of the main festivals for Hindus, Sri Bhagavati temple in Pernem is celebrated for two weeks while Navaratar Utsav is held at Shantadurga, Nagueshi, Mahalakshmi and Ramnath temples and Kalika Devi temple in Ponda.Special celebrations are held at Kasarpal.
Dhangar dance is a worship dance that is also performed during this festival.
For Christians, Fama de Menino Jesus is a time of relaxation and pleasure. The festivities begin at eight in the morning and continue until nine in the evening. On Fama Day, the statue of the infant Jesus is specially carried from the left altar of the church for public worship.
October – November
Deepawali: One of the most popular and colorful festival of the Hindus, Deepawali or the festival of lights is widely celebrated all over Goa by people of all ages, religion and creed. One this day, a festive bonhomie prevails all over the country, people give expression to their happiness by decorating their houses, lighting earthen diyas (lamps), bursting fire crackers and inviting the near and dear ones to their households for partaking in the sumptuous feast. For the Hindus, the lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valor and fame.
The festival is also celebrated in the honour of Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
Food & Cultural Festival: A 5-day festival held at Miramar beach close to Panaji in November with food stalls offering a rich experience of Goan Recipes, accompanied by Cultural entertainment programs and various competitions.
November – December
Kejagiri Purnima: Celebrated on the full moon following Dusshera , special celebrations are organized in Ponda to mark this auspicious day.
Malni Purnima: It is the festivals at Sri Devaki Krishna Temple at Marcel.
Jatra: The annual Jatra of Shri Shantadurga Kunkoliemkarin at Fatorpa in Quepem is celebrated with much gay and abandon by thousands of people to flock to this temple to participate in this festivities.
Datta Jayanti: It is celebrated as the annual festival at Shri Datta
Temple at Dattawadi, Sanquelim.
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary draws thousands of faithful to Goa to participate in the religious event.
Feast of St. Francis Xavier/ St. Francis Day: The feast of St. Francis Xavier is the patron saint of Goa and every Christmas in 3rd December. On this day, ceremonies are held to honor his death. The mummified body of St. Francis Xavier is enshrined in a silver casket in one of the chapels of Church of Bom Jesus in Velho Goa that was built in 1605 by the Jesuits. The body of the Saint is exposed to public once every ten years and pilgrims from all over the world line up to kiss the relics of St. Francis Xavier and pay homage.
special Christmas Eve : Christmas, there is the usual Midnight Mass with prayer gatherings and a special Christmas Eve all over Goa Christmas festivals. A Goan will leave his front door open during the festival as a gesture of generosity toward all who may visit his home.