In this village of Goa, people celebrate Holi with fire shower!


PTI, Mar 7, 2023, 1:04 PM IST

ANI Image

Holi is celebrated with colours in India but the scene is a bit different, even scary for some, in Malcarnem village in Goa where people shower hot embers on their bodies, a unique tradition associated with the festival in the country.

In many states, the festival of Holi begins the next day after people burn pyres of wood, marking the end of the evil ‘holika’, on the previous night.

However, people in Malcornem village, located 80 km away from Panaji in South Goa, follow a different and unique celebration, which they have been observing for centuries.

“No one has a record of when this tradition started. But ‘Sheni Ujo’ is an integral part of our temple culture. Once a year, this tradition is observed on the eve of the Holi festival,” said Kushta Gaonkar, a village resident.

In Konkani, ”sheni” means dry cow dung cake and the word ”ujo” stands for fire.

On the night before Holi, hundreds of people start gathering in the open spaces between various temples including Shree Mallikarjun, Shree Vagrodev, and Shree Jhalmidev where the ”Sheni Ujo” ritual is performed.

Vagrodev temple is dedicated to a tiger with the idol of the wild beast being worshipped for several decades.

The entire cluster of temples is unique as they house 43 Shivlings.

According to Gaonkar, the preparation for ”Sheni Ujo” begins a fortnight before the Holi festival. Those who want to participate in the ritual have to follow a strict vegetarian diet and have to follow pious living.

On the night ahead of Holi, villagers gather at an open space with three huge trunks of beetle nut trees for performing various rituals that culminate into ”Sheni Ujo.

“You have to be barefoot while performing all these rituals. The rituals continue the entire night. The participants run around the temples before gathering on a nearby ground. In the wee hours, they light cow dung cakes and throw embers on themselves,” said another villager, Sonu Gaonkar.

Spectators can also run under the falling embers on the occasion.

On March 6 night, the festival was celebrated with a traditional fervour with the participants performing ”Sheni Ujo” amid loud cheers and a crescendo of traditional music against the backdrop of darkness, part of it illuminated by the ”shower of embers”.

”It is believed that if you run through this fire, the sins committed by you in the previous year will be forgiven. It is also believed that diseases will be cured,” Gaonkar added.

When asked if people get injured, Gaonkar claimed no such incident had occurred in decades.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

IOA submits ‘Letter of Intent’ to host 2036 Olympics in India

CBDT allows tax officials to waive or reduce interest due from assessee

Like UP, bring BJP to power in Jharkhand to ‘bulldoze’ mafia: Yogi at Koderma poll rally

Govt asks Wikipedia why it should not be treated as publisher instead of intermediary

Karnataka HC issues notice to CM, others on plea seeking transfer of MUDA case to CBI

SC upholds validity of UP madrassa law, says it does not violate principle of secularism

Bantwal: Theft at Shree Mahalingeshwar temple

Related Articles More

MP: Pregnant tribal woman made to wash blood stains off hospital bed as injured husband dies

Bantwal: Old video of elderly woman bursting firecrackers in hand goes viral

2-yr-old Kenyan national becomes India’s youngest pancreatic donor

Watch | Chaos in Ghaziabad court, lawyers clash with police, video goes viral

Piyush Goyal’s chat with German Vice Chancellor in metro on China goes viral

MUST WATCH

Gho Pooja in Deepavali Festival

Melukote Deepavali

Ganapathi Co-operative Society Ltd

Udayavani Chinnara Banna 2024

Annapoorna Aahar | Food Places In Mysore


Latest Additions

IOA submits ‘Letter of Intent’ to host 2036 Olympics in India

CBDT allows tax officials to waive or reduce interest due from assessee

Like UP, bring BJP to power in Jharkhand to ‘bulldoze’ mafia: Yogi at Koderma poll rally

Govt asks Wikipedia why it should not be treated as publisher instead of intermediary

Karnataka HC issues notice to CM, others on plea seeking transfer of MUDA case to CBI

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.