Vasco: The 122nd Saptah Damodar Lord in Vasco will start with the installation of ‘Shrefal’ (coconut) by Joshi family members on Saturday afternoon.
Saptah began on the sixth day of Shravan.
Saptah, which this year will be observed by following all Covid safety guidelines, every year it starts at 12:30 with the installation of Gyefal near Lord Damodar idol and concludes 24 hours later.
To ensure safety steps followed, the police team included two PSIS, 10 police and two concents, will be deployed around the temple.
Traffic police will block the road outside the temple on the Swatantra lane and divert traffic from Jalan St Joseph Vaz and F L Gomes Road.
The temple committee has also asked the public not to visit the temple and pay their respect through their online platform on YouTube and Facebook.
The 24-hour Bhajan program will be recorded and installed online for worshipers.
During the Saptah, groups of six communities participated in floating that described scenes from Hindu mythology and arrived at Temple of Damodar from various corners of the port city.
However, this year, these six groups – Failwale, Nabhik Samaj, Daivaidhnya Bhahmn Samaj, Bhajarkar Samiti, Vishwakrma Samaj and Gadekar Samaj – have been allowed to provide their offerings on schedule from 14:00 to Saturday with only three members of each group Allowed in the temple.
In accordance with the legend, in 1899, when an outbreak claimed some lives in the port city and the outbreaks were out of control, some Hindu families went on to the Temple of Zambaulim Lord Damodar, and took a fight as a symbolic Prasad and installed it in Vasco.
It is believed that since then, Vascoites regained health and God Damodar they became a protective of the city.