Gadyachi Jatra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gadyachi Jatra | |
|---|---|
| Also called | Gade Utsav |
| Observed by | Goan Hindus |
| Type | Religious, cultural, folk |
| Date | Full moon day of Phālguna (Holi Pournima) |
The Gadyachi Jatra (literally “Rally of the Gades”) is a traditional Indian spirit-invocation festival held during Shigmo in several Goan villages, notably Sal (Bicholim taluka) and Poinguinim (Canacona taluka). Men donning white dhotis—known as Gade—enter trance states as they invoke Devanchaar, the village protective spirit, through torchlit processions, ritual hide-and-seek in sacred groves, and offerings at cremation grounds.[1][2]
On Holi Pūrṇimā night, a decorated mango trunk called the Holi is erected before the Mahadev Temple in the village Mand. Guided by rhythmic chanting and drumming, the Gades perform “Uzzvde” (torch-led hide-and-seek), venturing into nearby woods to recover sacred relics. Lost Gades are ritually revived with consecrated water before the three-night festival concludes with offerings at the cremation ground.[1]
Triennial Betal Temple Jatra in Poinguinim
Every three years at Shri Betal Temple, a cloth manuscript dated 1823 AD is read aloud. A platform of areca-nut trunks supports four Gades who are suspended by hooks on a rotating wheel, symbolizing Devanchaar’s power and the community’s ancestral bond.[3]
