Konkani Catholics gear up to celebrate Monti Fest in Coastal K’taka

Team Udayavani, Sep 7, 2024, 9:44 AM IST

Konkani Catholics along the coast are celebrating Monti Fest, the feast of the Nativity of Mother Mary, with great enthusiasm on Sunday. This annual celebration, observed on September 8, is one of the major festivals for coastal Christians and is also recognized as a harvest festival.

In preparation for Monti Fest, a nine-day novena, where devotees seek the blessings of Mother Mary, is conducted in all the churches of the coastal region. The festival culminates on the tenth day, celebrated as Monti Fest, with Christian families marking the occasion. On the day of the feast, the statue of the Virgin Mary is placed at the church entrance, where children offer flowers while singing hymns dedicated to Mary. Special prayers and Holy Mass are then conducted in churches to commemorate the day.

A key part of the celebration involves bringing freshly harvested paddy from the fields to the church, where it is blessed by the clergy. Afterward, the blessed paddy is distributed to families as a form of prasadam, and the children who offered flowers are given sugarcane and sweet treats.

A unique feature of Monti Fest is the preparation of a meal with newly harvested rice, which holds special significance. The blessed paddy is taken home, and after prayers, family members gather to share the meal together. It is also customary for family members who have migrated for work to return home to celebrate this festival with their loved ones, making it a special family reunion.