Pallavi with party leaders in tow offers prayers at temple, cross in village, seeks blessings; At Lohia Chowk, she pays respect to freedom fighters
MARGAO
It was 5 pm on Tuesday. The Maruti Temple at Orel in the sleepy Assolna village was bustling with activity. A group of women attired in traditional sarees were anxiously waiting to welcome not just a guest, but a daughter of the historic village – BJP South Goa candidate Pallavi Dempo.
As a police siren sounded the arrival of a convoy of vehicles towards the temple, Pallavi stepped on the soil to be welcomed by the waiting women, who showered on her flower petals as she along with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar, ex-Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, besides party workers and locals offered prayers at the temple, seeking divine blessings for the success of the party candidate.
Hailing from the industrialist Timblo family, having roots in Assolna, before the family migrated and settled in the commercial capital, Margao decades ago, Pallavi also paid a visit to her ancestral home at Orel. While the convoy left the Maruti Temple towards Assolna market, where Pallavi was scheduled to visit the nearby temple and pay respect to the freedom fighters at the historic Lohia Chowk, a couple of cars carrying the VIPs, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Digambar Kamat, Vinay Tendulkar and Sankalp Amonkar headed towards the Timblo’s ancestral home.
Pallavi along with other dignitaries not only stepped inside the house, which was specially opened for her to pay a visit, but sought divine blessings from the presiding deity before the well-wishers of the family offered sweets to those present around.
“I am so happy and filled with joy after visiting my ancestral home at Assolna and offer prayers to the almighty,” Pallavi told The Goan as she headed towards the waiting car along with BJP leader, South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar.
A villager Fredrick Borges informed that not many may know that the BJP South Goa candidate is the granddaughter of Assolna as the Timblos had their roots in the village. “Pallavi may be born and brought up in Margao, but she is the granddaughter of Assolna as the roots of the Timblos lies in the village,” he added.
The BJP South Goa candidate’s itinerary on Tuesday was the Velim Assembly of the South Goa constituency – the minority stronghold which has in the recent Lok Sabha history, has strongly rallied behind the Congress.
As the convoy made a halt at the Assolna market, Pallavi with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in tow and other leaders offered prayers at the temple before offering prayers at the adjacent Holy Cross by lighting candles.
They paid respects to the freedom fighters at the historic Lohia Chowk, where the great Goan nationalist, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia had visited his friend Dr Juliao Menezes before the duo had headed to Margao the next day on June 18, 1946, to give a clarion call to the people of Goa to join the struggle for the liberation of Goa from colonial rule.
The BJP leaders along with Pallavi later headed to the fishing hamlet of Bapsora-Velim, where the BJP enjoys influence amongst the inhabitants. She was scheduled to visit the Ram Temple at Bapsora before an interaction with the karyakartas.
