Keri: While Christmas is celebrated with a lot of splendor and hubbub in the city of the country, the rural cave traditionally chooses to mark a Christian festival that is widely anticipated as a close communal kingdom celebration.
This year is no different.
The Tribal Gaude of Tiswadi Taluka, who was a victim of forced conversion during the Portuguese government in Goa but was later restored to Hinduism, still maintaining long practices to respect the Holy Cross around their settlement in Nauxi, near Bambolim.
Called NAV-Hindu Gaude because of the return to Hindu through the movement ‘Shuddhi’ (purification) by the spiritual leader Vinayak Maharaj Masurkar in 1930, they also requested blessings from the Holy Cross during the Annual Zagor Festival and offered Garlands for him.
In Angodwada, the Sungai Colve skirt at Pernem Taluka’s Hebrintur, 12 Dhangar families look forward to Christmas celebrations in their 13 neighboring Catholic homes.
“Every year, Catholic families are happy to take part in our Ganesh Chaturthi celebration by visiting our homes who eat vegetarian food and sweets.
During Christmas, we visited their homes and enjoyed Nevreos, Dodol and other delicious.
We look forward to Christmas , “Chandrakan Shinde, a village resident, told TII.
Similar Camaraderie looks at Bhironda and Guleli in Sattari regardless of the Catholic population there is far less than Hindus.
The population, however, doesn’t seem important.
“On our ward, the Majority Catholic family.
There are only eight Hindu houses, but we live in harmony together.
We love to take part in the Christmas celebration and they enjoy vegetarian food offered during our celebration events,” said Valvoikar Swapnil from Vazri Sankhali , say.
In Heartland Goa, Christmas is about communal harmony
