Mahashivratri @ Shree Mahalaxmi Temple Panaji-Goa

                                                                                                           

Mahashivaratri Festival is celebrated across the nation with devotion and religious fever on the moonless 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun. Devotees observe fast all through the day and night of Shivaratri in honor of Lord Shiva and pay a visit to Shiva temples. Ritual bath of Shiva Lingam with milk, water, honey etc is also performed by the devotees as a part of the tradition.

Like all other Indians i too got up at early in the morning , had bath and proceeded towards Mahalaxmi devasthan Panaji-Goa, where just next to the main temple of Goddess Mahalaxmi is the small beautiful temple of Lord Shiva.
This year the festival day being Sunday devotees were more in no. ,Standing in que in a disciplined manner with  milk packets and flowers such as lotus, bilva patra (“bel” in konkani)etc. in their hands waiting for their turns to perform “Abhishek” and seek blessings of Lord Shiva.

It took me almost half an hour to reach inside the temple to take the “darshan” of Lord Shiva, followed by “ABHISHEK” on the “SHIVA LINGA” .

Thereafter there was a “mahaprasad” being served to the Purohits, Gaonkars(Panjikars) and devotees in the afternoon.

Later in the evening there was a “divja” procession in the vicinity of Mahalaxmi Temple, where the “SUHASINIS” –married women of Gaonkars(Panjikars) with a pancharart (five wicks lighted oil lamp) in their hands took  5 rounds of Mahalaxmi temple. This was followed by the palanquin procession of Goddess Shri Mahalaxmi in the temple vicinity after which there was a “bhar” of Gods Ravalnath, Rampurush , Grampurush in the bodies of Three Gaonkars(Panjikars) who gave blessings “Kaul” to the Gaonkar(Panjikar) family.

Post written by Shri. Shriram Pole.
Photo courtesy Shriram Pole and Ketan Karapurkar