Muharram {Eid} The Festival Of Muslim

                                                                                  
  Muharram refers to the first month of the Islamic Calendar. One of my Muslim friend told me that  Muharram is also considered as New Year of Muslim religion. The complete month of Muharram is sacred according to the Muslims. The tenth day of Muharram is most significance to the Muslim people. Different factions of the Muslim community observe this day for different reason. The word Muharram means "forbidden". It is held to be the second holiest month, following the Ramadan. And also some Muslims fast during these days.
Shia Muslims during Muharram do different things and with different intentions. Not only Shia people, Sunni people do the mourning on Imam Hussein. They observe and respect Muharram as the month that martyred Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhamad and son of Ali, in the battle of Karbala. They mourn for Hussein ibn Ali and refrain from all joyous events.  Unlike Sunni Muslims, Shias do not fast on the 10th day of Muharram. Muharram is a month of remembrance and modern Shia meditation that is often considered synonymous with Ashura. Ashura, which literally means the "Tenth" in Arabic, refers to the tenth day of Muharram  Shiite begin mourning from the first night of Muharram and continue for ten days, climaxing on the tenth of Muharram, known as the day of Ashura.
                                                            

Konnsache Fest- The Festival Of Harvest

                                                                                                                                            
  The Harvest Festival is celebrated all over the world in different ways. In Goa, the harvest festival is celebrated in almost all villages as a sign of gratitude of farmers with a healthy crop. Every year of the monsoon season, Salcete taluka's Raia village is the first village to celebrate the Harvest festival as in Konkani it called as Konnsachem Fest. Every year on the 5th August Konsache fest is celebrated. The parish priest cuts the sheaves{konsa} of rice harvest and sent not to the governor and bishop of Goa, but only to the neighbouring Rachol Seminary and the Kamakshi temple at Shiroda in Ponda taluka.
The highlight of feast mass is the blessings and cutting of the 'konsa'{sheaves} in the paddy fields. The parish priest blesses  the new harvest praying for all farmers and a good yield for their hard work. The mass ends with distribution of konsa for all devotees. Much faith is witnessed towards the Neves Saibinn as people of all communities attend  the Konnsache Fest. In keeping up with the tradition of village feast, a football match is held among the local clubs.
The Konnsache fest is also celebrated in the villages Taleigao, Aldona, and Divar during the monsoon with some unique customs.
             

Gadyachi Jatra- The Festival Of Ghosts

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Shigmo is considered the most appropriate occasion to express gratitude to ghosts and spirits in Goa. As we all know that science dose not believe in the existence of life after death, but many culture in the world have a lot of rituals dedicated to ghosts and spirits. The Gadyanchi of Sal, Borde-Bicholim, Pilgao, Kudne, Savoi-Verem are about ghosts{bhuta} and holy spirits.
In Poinguinim, Canacona, there is a  Betal temple which is also associated with the Gadyachi Jatra' that is celebrated in April once in three years. Four males dressed in a white dhoti, known as gade', take part in ceremony along with other devotees.  In front of the Betal temple a tall platform of areca nut trunks is erected on  which the gade' are suspended by hooks to a revolving wheel. Only when the audience declare to the mall gaddo' that they are satisfied are the gade ' set  free.
Sal in Bicholim is famous for Gadyanchi jatra which attracts huge number of people from Goa. As per Hindu tradition, Mahadev is regarded as the gad of ghosts. On the second day of holi at the night persons dressed in the white dhoti assembled at the place called 'mand'. As soon as a huge crowd which means 'romat' comes to the mand they start dancing on the beats of dhol and taso.
Elderly people sit and sing non stop folk songs called 'naman'. On the third night 'devchar' shows chudti or torch. He also hides few 'gades' on the trees and some other hidden place. On these day the hidden gade become unconscious and after pouring sacred water in their mouth they become conscious. They also visit the crematorium and carry remnants of burnt dead bodies in their hands.
The Kudne Gadyanchi jatra is held for three nights without lightning any types of lamps, whereas in Sal lightning of lamps is allowed.

Narali Purnima- The Festival Of Coconut

                                                                                                                                                                                                          The Hindu festival of Narali Purnima or the Coconut festival is celebrated with great excitement by the fishermen and the fishing community in Goa and also in the coastal belts, on the full moon day of Shravan. In Konkani language Narali Purnima is also called as "Punvecho Dis". The word 'Naral' means coconut and coconut is offered to the sea on full moon day.

The reason for the celebration of the festival is very specific to the fishermen. When eating fish comes to an end on the day of Narali Purnima when a coconut is thrown into the sea at high tide of that day. The reason for this is during high tide, the sea is in heavy motion and very strong. This offering of the coconut is a gesture to clam its dangerous anger. The reason for offering no other fruit but the coconut is because coconut has long been regarded as an showing offering Gods in all Hindu Festivals. Thus, this offering of coconut is believed to appease the sea god for a safe journey ahead in the water It is believed that after this day the strength of the wind and the direction of the same changes in favour of fishing.

                                                                                                                                                          Before the arrival of this festival, fishermen repairs their old fishing nets, paint their boat{Hode or Ponel} and plug any holes that are that are leaking in their boats. Also some fishermen buys or purchases fishing net and boats. With colourful flower garlands boats are decorated. On the day of festival, the traditional food is prepared like coconut rice which is sweet to taste. They perform traditional dance like kharvi dance. After the celebration, they throw the coconut far into the sea. They worship the sea god asking the god for its protection and blessings for a safe and prosperous  fishing season ahead. The sea is holy to fishermen for their survival. They offers pooja to the boat and put tread{Janve} to the fishing boat.Some oil lamps are lit up and set afloat amidst the waves and carried in the boats. After pooja is over pieces of coconuts are distributed as 'Prasad' to the members of the community. After coming home the all Hindu people worship Thread also known as' Janve' and wore around their neck, this ritual is also known as Sutachi Punav.
As personally I am belong to Kharvi  family, we all enjoy this festival. It is social as well as an occupational and has been celebrated immemorial amongst the fisher folk in the country.