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Festa dos Reis (Festivals of India)



FESTA DOS REIS: THE FESTIVAL


Goa, the Rome of the East, is a deeply religious place abundantly blessed with churches, temples, chapels and wayside crosses. Perched high on a hill in Quelim, Salcete, stands the tiny centuries-old stone chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios (Our Lady of Cures). The incomparably beautiful statue of the Madonna is seen holding the Child Jesus in open arm and a small vase in the other, which has in it the panacea for all ills. The Lady of the Mount is famous for her wondrous protection and miracles and is also reputed to be the giver of children to sterile mothers. She is covered with jewellery as tokens of gratitude by Catholics and Hindus alike for favours and blessings received. The chapel as well as the image are very ancient and are steeped in historical associations, traditions and legends.

Every year thousands of devotees congregate at the stone chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Reis to offer prayers of thanksgiving to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception-a lighthouse of faith and courage to its people. High mass is offered on the day of Epiphany and it is a time to rejoice and revel.

FESTA DOS REIS: HISTORY


Some say the Jesuits built this place of worship during the religious persecution that raged Goa during the time of the Marques de Pombal. This fact seems to be borne out by the subterranean passage found in the chapel that terminates about a mile away in a huge boulder with six secret openings through which, it is believed, that the faithful entered. These caves were later used by tigers and panthers as lairs. Another boulder on a nearby hill is clearly stamped with two baby footprints and those of an adult, together with a trough carved out of the rock which, legend says, marks the spot where the Virgin rested with the Infant while the horse that brought them quenched its thirst, before proceeding to Hill of Remedios where she chose to remain.

Accounts differ however, and some historians state that the site now occupied by the Chapel of Remedios was once the site of a Hindu temple. Perhaps this is why a large number of Hindu devotees make the yearly pilgrimage to the Mount to worship the Madonna, bringing with them offerings of flowers, incense and candles.

The Hill of Remedios is situated at such a dizzy height that you can practically see the whole of Goa nestling around in a panoramic picture at its feet. The chapel itself is the Goan mariner's lighthouse of faith, hope and courage-a sort of friendly beacon that he eagerly looks towards for guidance and security in life's tempests. Surrounded as it is by the curious curves and shapes of maiden mountains, by waving and whispering palms, the softness of golden sands, the endless changing moods of sea and sky and the bewitching magic of the chaste sun and moon, this sanctuary is truly the realm of mystic beauty, the Abode of the Gods and one of perfect peace. One seems nearer to Heaven in this hallowed spot, and the sublime and child-like faith in the Lady of Cures by her ardent devotees makes you leave the hill richer in mind and spirit.

FESTA DOS REIS: CELEBRATIONS


It is on the Festa dos Reis or the Epiphany on January 6 that this isolated hill and chapel suddenly spring to life and activity. Through the year, the whole place lies closed and forgotten like some medieval castle under a magician's spell. Nine days before the Feast of the Novena starts, the hill revives and resounds to human voices and feet. Come early dawn, kettledrums and the blare of trumpets, loud enough to raise the dead, announce to the sleepy little neighboring villages that the day of rejoicing and festivity is high. The tolling bells call the faithful to prayer and devotees visit the shrine in a non-stop stream. There's now an excellent road winding its way up the steep hill right to the door of the chapel, making the ascent possible by car. Most devotees however, prefer to climb up and though tired and breathless, arrive at the shrine offering the fatigues of the journey as penance and atonement for their sins. You will find even the very old and infirm making their way up for nine consecutive days to hear Mass and recite the rosary before the Lady of the Blue Mantle. Many come to offer their thanks for wishes fulfilled. They are invariably preceded by the drummer-boy with his kettledrum who, by the loud beat of his drum, announces another favor having being granted by the Lady of Remedios.

The dramatic climax is reached on January 6, the day of the Feast of the Magi, when three little boys ranging in years from 8 to 10 are selected as kings from the three neighboring villages of Quelim, Cansaulim and Arrosim to bring their gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense to the Child-God. Throughout the year expectations and excitement run high as to who will be the fortunate ones chosen as it must be either a son or grandson from these three villages; no outsider can claim this privilege or honor. To be a king, if only for a day is no joke, so the young monarchs take meticulous care to groom themselves for the exacting role. Meanwhile, on the Mount, the crowds gather from all parts of Goa to attend the Mass and get a glimpse of the three kings. If you go up by car and are early enough to secure some parking place for it, you will probably find yourself the last to leave as you will discover to your despair that you are fenced in on all sides by hundreds of other vehicles! An extensive fair also springs up covering the entire hilltop. You can buy anything from a meal to copper, brassware, furniture, clothes, toys, trinkets, sweetmeats, glass bangles and spices of all sorts.

As the crowd grows, so does the fever of excitement, until it is time for the High Mass and the arrival of the kings. The surging and trampling devotees congregate on the hill's edge to watch the three kings from three different routes make their appearance. Mounted on white horses, they make their way up, outfitted in their royal garments elaborately embroidered in gold and silver, a crown studded with glittering stones on their heads, and a whole procession of relatives, friends, retinues bringing up the rear. Each procession is preceded by a brass band played as loud as it can to drown the sound of the two rivals! To add to the confusion, crackers are burst all the way up. The crowd in a frenzy of enthusiasm hails the Magi with a deafening ovation. The kings dismount from their white steeds, and are solemnly led to the special seats of honor reserved for them to assist at the High Mass. After the service, they are led down with the same traditional ceremony with which they were brought up the hill. The whole picturesque scene is a color-drenched dream of ancient pomp, pageantry and glory.

FESTA DOS REIS: SPOOKY STORIES


A curious feature of the festival on the Mount is that after midday, you will not find a single soul anywhere near by. The staggering and swelling crowds disappear as mysteriously as the huge giant fair, within a few hours, while the flags, buntings and other fanciful decorations are all removed. Since no priest consents to reside in the parochial house, the chapel is closed till the next annual feast. During the year should any devotee wants a mass of thanksgiving to be said at the shrine, he goes up with the priest. The reason for this fear of the Mount is the belief that the place is haunted by Shivaji and his army who after dusk make their appearance with flares that light up the whole countryside around, which echoes to their marching feet. A gruesome murder that took place on the site a few years back involving two lovers also adds a sinister background to Shivaji's ghost!