Holi is played with embers in a village in Goa.
Goa: Holi, the festival of colours, is celebrated with pomp in every corner of the country. Drenched in colors, food and fun, this festival is unique in itself and people eagerly wait for it every year. The traditions of Holi are also strange in some places. Just as people of certain communities in Jharkhand celebrate Holi by hitting each other with stones, similarly Lathmar Holi, Laddu Mar Holi is played in Barsana, but you will be surprised to hear the tradition of Holi in Molcornem village of Goa. Yes, the Holi scene is a bit different here, where people throw hot embers that fall on them and celebrate the festival in a unique way. This unique tradition is called ‘Sheni Ujo’. In Konkani language, ‘Sheni’ means Upla and the word ‘Ujo’ means fire.
The unique tradition of the village of Goa – Sheni Ujo
Let us tell you that in many states, a day before the festival of Holi, there is a tradition of Holika Dahan, in which people collect wood and other firewood and burn it believing it to be Holika. It is believed that in this way the flow of fire leads to the victory of good over evil. Just like this, the festival of Holi is celebrated in a different and unique way in Molkornem village, located 80 km from Panaji in South Goa, where people shower themselves with coals.
Kushta Gaonkar, a resident of the village said, “None of us knows since when this tradition has been going on, but ‘Sheni Ujo’ is an integral part of our culture. This tradition is followed every year even today on the eve of Holi festival. He said that on the eve of Holi hundreds of people gather in the open space near various temples including Sri Mallikarjuna, Sri Vagrodev and Sri Jhalmidev and celebrate ‘Sheni Ujo’. One reason for this is that there are 43 Shivlings around this area.
Unique custom of celebrating Holi
According to Kushta Gaonkar, the preparations for ‘Sheni Ujo’ are started about a fortnight before the festival of Holi and the people participating in this ritual have to eat vegetarian food and follow completely sattvic rules. Sonu Gaonkar, another resident of the village, said, “People participate in this ritual barefoot. The Sheni Ujo ritual continues throughout the night. All those who take part in it run around the temples before gathering in the ground. As soon as the morning comes, the dung cakes are burnt and by tossing them up, they drop the burning embers on themselves. participate in the ritual People can also run under falling coals. ,
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