Siolim or Shivolim in Bardez taluka comprises the villages of Siolim, Sodiem, and Oxel. The River Chapora flows through this picturesque place enhancing its vegetation and beauty.
Siolim is also the ancestral village of some eminent Goans who have been shining like bright stars in various fields of music, literature, art, culture, and sports. To name a few, musician Padma Shri awardee Remo Fernandes, musician cum writer of Konkani Romaçio (romantic novels) late Reginald Fernandes, cartoonist Alexyz, Tiatrist (dramatist) Kid Boxer and ZagorTiatrist Kishor Pomburpekar, Zagor artiste/Zagorio Vittal Devraj Shirdkar (he is the fourth in the Shirodkar family to perform as the invoker at the Zagor at Siolim), sportspersons like Marie Mendonça, Dominic Fernandes, and members of the clergy (some of which who rose to become Bishops) are the shining stars hailing from Siolim.
Besides being home to these eminent Siolcars/Shivolcars (natives of Siolim), Siolim is also a shining example of communal harmony. The famous Siolecho Zagor/Jagor (an all-night wake/night vigil) celebrated in December every year by Christians and Hindus in unison, is one such example.
This Zagor/Jagor is celebrated at the temple of Zagreshwar/Jagreshwar in Siolim. The festival of São João celebrated on June 24 near the St Anthony Church is well-known for the floats of boats held in a tributary of River Chapora flowing in the vicinity.
This colourful parade of decorative boats is attended by spectators from all communities across Goa and by a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. Besides these two major festivals, the local Christian community celebrates the various festivals and feasts at the churches in Siolim. The Hindu population here celebrates different festivals in the temples dedicated to Lord Dattatreya, Sateri devi, and other gods in Siolim.
SATER/SATERI DEVI
In February or March coinciding with the end of Magh and the beginning of Falgun (months in the Hindu Shakya calendar), the Hindus in Siolim celebrate an entire week comprising two festivals known as the Sateri Devi Palkhi Utsav and the Sateri Vadd Divas. These festivals are celebrated at the temple of goddess Sateri at Sodiem in Siolim.
Like most places in Goa, Siolim has a temple dedicated to this ancient Goddess Sateri. Originally, the Sateri temples in Goa were small shrines built around an ant hill and worshipped right before the Vedic period. Sater means a Roin (an anthill) and was worshipped by the early Goan settlers.
In the later period, this Sater became Sateri Devi who also came to be known as goddess Shantadurga at quite a few places in Goa. The goddess Sateri of Sodiem, in Siolim is the Gramadevta (goddess of the village) of all Hindu residents residing in the nine vadde of Siolim. She is also the Gramdevta and the Kuldevta (family goddess)of Hindus residing in different Vadde in villages of Sodiem and Oxel or elsewhere.
The old mini temple/shrine dedicated to goddess Sateri which existed since ancient times at Sodiem, was rebuilt into a big temple in 1961. An interesting fact about this temple rebuilt in 1961, is that it was designated by a renowned Goan architect Ralino Souza who belonged to the Christian faith. This fact is another example reflecting the aspect of communal harmony existing among Siolcars.
Every year, Hindu devotees in Siolim celebrate the Sateri Vadd Diwas on the auspicious day of Sashti (sixth day) of Shukla Paksha (waning period) in the holy month of Falgun (Hindu Shakya calendar).
The celebration of this annual SateriVadd Diwas is preceded by the week-long celebration of the SateriPalkhi Utsav (palanquin festival). A Palkhi Utsav means a festival, wherein the idol of a god/goddess is carried ceremoniously by devotees on their shoulders from ward to ward in a colourfully decorated wooden palanquin.
In Siolim, the idol of goddess Sateri istaken out in a Palkhi (palanquin) for her annual visit to her Vataar (area of worship). Here, the Vataar comprises the entire area which includes the residences of all devotees who have been worshipping the goddess Sateri as their Gramdevta for generations from ancient times. Thus it is seen that goddess Sateri, visits all her devotees once a year right at the doorstep of their houses and blesses them. (To be continued)
[The writer is an architect by profession and is passionate about festivals and traditions in Goa]
