Celebrating the goddess of forests

PANAJI: Paush, the tenth month of the Hindu calendar, has special significance for Hindu women ryots in Goa. Over five nights-with Wednesday's full moon of Malani Purnima beingthe grandest-they express their love and respect for the forest deity popularlycalled Vandevi. The celebration is called Dhalo. Once upon a time,there were many places in Goa where the goddess of the forest was respected bythose living in and around the forests. Mulgao in Bicholim taluka,in fact, has two temples dedicated to Vandevi-Dhakti Vandevi (young goddess) andVhodli Vandevi (elder goddess).The temples were originally in Bardeztaluka's Shiroda, known today as Serula or Salvador do Mundo. Underthe erstwhile Portuguese rule, however, the devotees fled Serula along with theidols and reached Mulgao, then under Sawantwadkar Bhonsle'srule.Forests, which are today the habitats of various forms ofbiodiversity alone, were once also the homes of humans who lived, hunted andcollected fruits, roots, shoots, tubers, nuts, etc."In order toexpress gratitude to the forest for supporting their lives in many ways, ourancestors began the festival of Dhalo," says Laxmi Chandrakant Harvalkar, afolklorist from Brahma-Karmala in Sattari taluka. During thefestival of Dhalo, women decorate and worship the tulsi vrindavan (basil plantin a pedestal) as the symbolic representation of the forest goddess."The women, in the past, would invoke the forest goddess forblessings of health and prosperity on their families. Till date, this traditioncontinues with the women singing folksongs and urging the goddess, Vandevimaya,to participate in the traditional folk dance," says the 68-year-old Harvalkar.The sacred place-maand-where Dhalo performances are presented everyyear, is near a forest or around old, towering trees with large canopies.These sacred trees are protected till date as they are believed tobe the abodes of the deity 'Rashtroli'. In Hedus of Ibrampur inPernem taluka, the Dhalo celebrations take place at the cluster of huge banyantrees.Sahdev Azgaonkar, 55, of Marathwada-Mandrem in Pernem talukasays, "We worship the holy spirit 'Gangaldev' which is in the form of a banyantree and therefore the Dhalo festival in our village is performed near thetree."As part of the Dhalo celebrations, women-married, single,widowed-perform the folksongs that sing of forests, fields, flora and fauna. Assoon as the work of Vaigan or rabi cultivation is over, women celebrate thefestival for five nights. The last night of Dhalo has specialsignificance as it is marked by numerous cultural and religious rituals. Anauction of various items is also organized to generate funds for the nextfestival.Women who are otherwise always busy with the day-to-daychores of their lives find a chance to unwind during Dhalo, as they sing, danceand participate in traditional games. "We derive a lot of pleasurewhile participating in the songs, dances, games, dramas and rituals that are apart of the Dhalo celebrations. "Though some of the folk songs aremonotonous, their rhythm makes us forget the sorrows and sufferings in ourday-to-day lives," signs off 59-year-old Jaimala Naik of Mencurem, Bicholim.