SAL GADE UTSAV 🙏|| Day 3

Shree Mahadev Bhumika Temple is situated at Sal in Bicholim Taluka Goa.It is dedicated to Lord Mahadev. The Sal village is well known among the people of goa as it celebrates the three days festival called GADE FESTIVAL which attracts thousands of devotees from all over.


So what Makes Sal Gade such an attraction? 


The Gade festival that falls in the month of Feb/March. On the day of holi poornima a huge tree trunk 

is decorated with mango leaves which is erected near the mahadev temple.


On the following night , 45 men barefooted, dressed in white dhotis and black belt on their waist
assembles at the sacred place called “MAND” (Place where the tree trunk is erected). In Sal village it is the RAUT, PARAB, GHURE, NAIK, MHALE Communities that are prominent in the gade
festival. soon a crowd called  “romat” assembles at the Mand dancing to the beats of dhol and taso.
While the elderly sit nearby singing non stop folk song called “NAMAN” . it is also said that the dhol and the singing of Naman should not stop for entire night and if it happens, then there is a possibility of all Gade being Lost in the jungle.
The villagers invoke blessings (GARANEE) from all the deities of the village and it is believed that the the spirit of god enters their bodies and they start running around the holi (Tree trunk) accompanied by Traditional music. soon after that all the gade venture into the jungle to bring Karyoo ( small mud pots ) they are shown a light by devchar. people believe that the devchar is set free during these days .
After bringing Karyoo from jungle , they are placed near holi. by the time gade returns with karyoo from jungle , some of the gade are already hidden by devchar. Thus in this way , the game of hide and seek between gade and devchar starts.
After realising the absence of some of their companions, gade go back to the jungle in search of those who are hidden by devchar. After finding then they come and take one dhol vadak with them to the jungle to get the gade back l. This is the time when people witness a rare vision of devchar, here they get to see light shown by devchar, At times devchar shows the light ( chudti) from a close distance it is surprising that though the entire body of devchar is visible in the bright light of chudti but his face is never visible. after reaching at the specific place of the devchar, the devchar gives the hidden gade, other gade bring him back near the temple and drag him around holi , after which he come to his senses and starts running with other gade around holi. the same process is followed all three days. All the gade should be brought back before last night gets over , if any gado is left with devchar and not brought back at holi before dawn , then he is considered DEAD.
On the last night , After all the hidden gade are returned by devchar, at the end people also get chance to hear the sound Ghosts crying from the Near by cemetery. Gade goes to the cemetery to bring bones and woods. it is said that the ghosts give the bones to gade and if ghosts deny to give them then the gade beats them up. the sound of beating can be heard clearly.
Many people hide near the cemetery to listen to the cries of the ghosts, which resembles the cry of people who are dead from the village. They sound of cries is so loud and clear that people could make out that the cries belongs to Women/Men/ infants
After that gade comes near holi with woods and bones and start dancing around holi then they take
bones and woods from where they brought them. at the end gade lay down near holi and people around blow air into their ears the. they come back to their senses. it is said that after the festival people from sal do not have to fear of ghosts throughout the year as they are tied by gade.

According to villagers a man who was gada fell sick before the festival and he was locked inside his house. As soon as he heard the beats of dhol he became restive , climbed rooftop and ran to participate in the ritual. Another old man was also galvanised but once the rituals were over he felt to his death.
Those who do not want to be a gada should stay away from the village boundaries till the festival gets over.

*Once a German lady who tried to shoot the happenings with a hidden camera for a documentary and to her horror, discovered that her camera had captured nothing, activist had to beg for forgiveness after her plan saw her suffer mental agony.
In past Curious disbelieving men have attempted to hide in bushes before hand and see what’s happening but all of them either fell unconscious or were injured on their way to the forest

12-13 years ago some men stayed in the forest, but immediately the fire began where they were standing. The Next year all of them came to the temple , made an offering and sought forgiveness.

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