Thousands of devotees bring Narve to life on Janmashtami
Come Janmashtami, thousands of devotees throng the hamlet of Narve in the Bicholim taluka to pray at the Masan Devi temple and at the tirthsthan (Panchganga).
While several travel to the place to perform rituals, palanquins of gods and goddesses are also an attraction.
The confluence of five rivers — Bicholim, Valvonti, Zuari, Khandepar and Mhadei — known as 'Panchganga', is where devotees perform rituals and offer flowers to their ancestors on the occasion of Janmashtami. Besides, the 'yajnopavit' (sacred thread worn by men) is also released into the water on this day.
'Devotees come to the banks of the Panchganga to release the yajnopavit along with bel and tulsi leaves. They then visit Kaloba (the folk deity), whose shrine is in the vicinity,' said Rama Mayekar, a local devotee.
On Janmashtami, palanquins of different gods and goddesses from Bicholim and Mayem are brought to this place at Narve. Ravlu Gaonkar of Shri Shantadurga Devasthan, Bicholim, said, 'We have been bringing the palanquin of goddess Shantadurga here for the past many years.'
Ashtami is one of the few days in a year that the temple of Masan Devi is thrown open to the members of the public. Couples visit this temple to pray for the gift of a child.
The area also has a fair set up for Janmashtami. The stalls sell traditional items, like the 'paat' (wooden seat used for performing religious rituals) and 'matoli', used for Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. Roasted grams are considered to be a speciality.
The Janmashtami celebrations here end before sunset, with the palanquins returning to their respective temples and the fair stalls shutting shops by 6pm.
Devotees visiting Narve for Janmashtami have urged govt authorities concerned to construct steps to reach the palanquin spot.
Last year, state govt had constructed a permanent shed to station the palanquins, but the access road to the spot where the palanquins are is unpaved and tends to get slippery during the rains.
'The route is difficult, specially for the elderly. Many return without taking 'darshan' of palanquins,' said Bhagarathi Vaigankar, a devotee.
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