Revisiting childhood on Chikal Kalo

Every year on Ashadi Ekadashi, the eleventh lunar day of the Hindu month of Ashadha, the village of Marcel celebrates a unique traditional festival called Chikal Kalo to commemorate the childhood antics of Bal Krishna. The festival dates back to over 400 years and is believed to have moved to Marcel, from Chorao, along with the temple, during the Portuguese rule.Though the villagers cannot really trace back the exact year the festival commenced, they celebrate it with great fervour, year after year, by rolling in the mud and playing traditional games.
The ground opposite Devaki Krishna Temple becomes a playground for over 300 revellers on this day. Boys and men of all ages chant ‘Hari Vithal, Jai Vithal’. Bare-chested, and clad in only their shorts, they take part in several games. Meanwhile, young boys and girls form their own groups and play in the mud together. Women, however, do not take part in these games and only watch from the periphery of the ground.
“Gopal Kalo is celebrated twice every year – once during Ashadi Ekadashi and once during Karthik Ekadashi. However, since it only rains during Ashadi Ekadashi, which falls in the second or third week of July, we celebrate Chikal Kalo during this time. The festival derives its name from ‘chikal’ or wet mud. During Karthik Ekadashi, the games are played at a mandap,” says Premanand
Naik, a local.
Premanand has been taking part in the festival since the last 50 years. “I am told the festival dates back to 400 years. I’ve been taking part in it ever since I was a child. The festival celebrates the naughty nature of Bal Krishna, and everybody, regardless of age, becomes baby Lord Krishna for the day. We play games and pranks on each other. There are around ten traditional games that we play, which are believed to be the games Lord Krishna originally played with his friends,” he says.
The festival includes games like chakra (a group of boys holding hands and forming a wheel), a folk version of blind man’s buff, tug-o-war, a game where men form a tunnel and others run through it, and more.
Before the festival commences, oil is generously smeared all over the bodies of the participants. “Traditionally, shopkeepers from general stores poured oil on the revellers. We still do it to protect them from cold and infection,” says Premanand.
The festival also sees villagers distributing sweets and snacks to the revellers. “We distribute bols, which are made with grated coconut, besides fruits and snacks,” says Premanand.
“We light a candle in the temple on the day of Ekadashi. Exactly 24 hours later, the Chikal Kalo commences. Before the festival begins, devotees offer prayers and seek blessings,” says Manoj Shirodkar, a local.
The festival ends with the breaking of the dahi handi. “After that, four-five people take a bath in the nearby pond and go back to the temple to wind up the afternoon prayers. Food is then served to the revellers by the families from the village,” says Manoj.
Villagers, tourists and Goans from other places come to witness the festivities. “We let everybody take part. Earlier it was just the boys and men from the ward who were allowed, but now we even have friends from other places in Goa who come to celebrate this unique festival that doesn’t take place anywhere else in India,” says Girish Navelkar.
“Earlier, children used to play these games regularly. When we were younger, all of us would get together to play traditional games. However, nobody plays them now. So, this festival also helps retain such traditional games, that are passed on to our future generation,” Pramanand concludes.