It was the third Tuesday of Shravan and devotees in this scenic village of Naroa or Narve in Bicholim were already there in large number early morning to pay their obeisance to the deity of the Crematorium or graveyard, called Masandevi, Masansati or for some villagers, she is Saibinn. Thousands of people coming from across the state visited the shrine all through the day to seek Devi’s blessings on the occasion of Masandevichi Zatra.
This temple is situated, a short distance away from the site, which is famous for Ashtamichi Zatra (Janmashtami) along the bank of River Mandovi. The call of this Devi is too strong as the crowd swelled as the day progressed as for many regulars this festival is never missed.
Devotees stood in queue to offer prayers and offered Vhuti to Devi, a folk deity which is worshipped in the form of an anthill. People also offered prayers at the adjacent shrine where stands a Kajro (Nux Vomica) plant, on which relatives of dead women nail a copper coin in the hope to ward-off wandering spirit of the dead, a belief still in vogue, a quaint Hindu Custom. Women who died in such circumstances from the village and other places were buried, but never cremated in this village.
Octogenarian resident of Narve, Vasant Bhate says, “It is unique festival that is celebrated in Goa invoking the deity for controlling the spirits of women who may have died during pregnancy, child birth or menstruating period.” Masandevi is considered to be the protector of the spirits of deceased women. This is one temple where the priestly rituals are performed by the Mhazans or Mahajans of the community only. Families of Vangods bring Prasad, offerings to the deity, which is then distributed to devotees.
Devotees have strong faith in the deity and this ancient practice. No one knows how such a practice began in this temple, which was renovated few decades ago. The secretary of the Devasthan, Ganjanan Gangaram Shet Narvekar says, “Our ancestor had created this rare system for the well-being of society. People come for Zatra in total devotion without fail every year and offer Vhuti to the Devi in remembrance of their family member and also for thanksgiving for fulfilling their wishes, maybe a new member in the family or any other their personal life.” Last year 28 families of new born children offered special prayers and invoked deity’s blessings.
For Murli Talkar, a devotee from Mayem, visiting Saibinn is an annual ritual as Devi is the Protector of all. Referring to deceased women, he says, “This is the place for resting of Alwat, Devgat, Balsati, Saman, Khetri and Nimmo (before marriage). Coconut and a rooster are offered by family members of the deceased. If two roosters are offered then one is sacrificed and taken home and the other is released near the temple.”
Ganjanan mentions, “From humble beginning, the temple has grown to what is it today due to the efforts of Mhazans of the temple and former priest late Madhu Shet Gaonkar who presided and served deity for many years and was very instrumental in giving it a new structure from the original small shrine.”
Historically, the villagers are considered to be belonging to Kaundinya Gotra (lineage). The founding members consisted of 68 Mhazans from 12 families that existed initially, termed Vangod that was registered way back in 1918 as per Portuguese records. From the humble beginning, the number of Mhazans has now increased to about 377 in numbers, which are strictly based only on family tree, Narvenkar added. The temples in this village come under Shree Kankeshwari Shantadurga Panchayatan Saunsthan that include Shantadurga, Ravalnath, Nagareshwar (Mahadeo), Kankeshwari and Masandevi. Various Gotra has their Purush, the Protector (Rakhandar) of the community.
People have made this Zatra a big festival, as from just handful of stalls some years ago, now the stalls have multiplied in numbers with many of them selling sweets and other festive products. For Avdhut and Rupesh Homkhandi, a third generation member of a family from Divar, who runs a tea stall for the last 50 years during Ashtam festivity and at this Zatra are following in the footsteps of their elders. Another familiar face is a science graduate, Anand Naik and his sisters from Marcel selling peanut-gram roasted in hot oven, is a vocation that they have inherited from their father and the Shinde family from Pilgaon who adorns women with choice of variety patterns in bangles these festivals are not only a devotion, but also a means of livelihood.
As the Sun nears the horizon in the evening, it was time to wind up and pack-off everything and leave the place by 6 pm. Ganjanan cautions, “A goat which is garlanded with black beads is released in the evening and Choro (cooked rice) is sprinkled all around marking the end of the Zatra. It is believed that Masandevi moves around the place to protect people from the ghost during night time.
Masandevichi Zatra, which is always celebrated before the Ashtami has a special ritualistic significance for the ardent devotees who are ingrained in deep beliefs even in the changing times and the lore of Devi lives on so also the festivals of ghost on Ashtami night.