In Goa, Hindus and Christians come together to invoke god as one

On New Year’s night, Siolim, some 25km from capital Panaji, is unusually crowded. Traffic clogs the narrow roads, and despite policemen at every turn, there does not seem to be a way out for the hordes of vehicles.The north Goa coastal belt is a hotbed for night-long celebrations during the Christmas season, but this is no party crowd. Everyone here is headed to the Zagreshwar shrine in Dando for the famous Zagor, a dance-drama folk festival where devotees invoke god throughout the night.Unlike other Zagors across Goa, Siolim has unique significance. It brings Hindus and Christians together, with the purohit (priest), belonging to the Shirodkar family, singing ovios or religious couplets in praise of Christian deities. medium106511681“Some of those who are performing the acts at the zagor are Catholics, while others are Hindus,” Kanhaiya V Shirodkar, whose family has played a central role here for almost a century, tells TOI. “In today’s world, where you see hatred, this festival provides the best example of social harmony.”Kanhaiya belongs to the seventh generation of purohits from the Devraj Vittal Shirodkar family and sings the ovios here, introducing each character as they take the stage. He starts with praise for the Holy Trinity. “Poilo noman deva bapak, dusro noman deva putak, tisro noman deva spirita santak. Soggle dev ekuch.” Translated from Konkani, it means the first praise is to God the Father, the second praise is to God the Son, and the third praise is to God the Holy Spirit. All gods are one. medium106511962 medium106511796As in many other folk-art forms, there is an element of heredity in the zagor, and certain roles were inherited by some families. The main roles at the Siolim zagor are reserved for Christians.The opening act by ‘Bharbhariya’, for example, is supposed to be done by someone from the Fernandes family, while the all-important Zagorio – or dance of God – is reserved for the Rodrigues family. Other roles like ‘Firangi Raja’ and two ‘Malis’ are traditionally enacted by Christians. medium106512237Involvement of Christians lesseningHowever, on the night of January 1, 2024, only two of the seven characters—Raja and Zagorio—were played by Christian families.“I can see the involvement of Christians lessening. During my childhood, I have seen so many [Christians] taking part, but those who were supposed to be performing here at the zagor have migrated for better prospects, while other members [of the family] are not interested. Another factor that might have impacted is what they believe as per their own faith,” says Kanhaiya.Gavin D’Souza, 35, has played the role of Raja for the last 13 years and is keen to carry the tradition forward. Paulo Pereira, who plays the role of the much-revered Zagorio, is now three years into the act, after the Rodrigues family decided to stay away. medium106501352“This is a great tradition that is being carried forward, and by now I know all the lines by heart,” says Gavin. Nobody can explain why rehearsals for the acts are to be held only on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.A similar zagor is celebrated in the nearby Guddem ward after a rift developed among the villagers about 12 years ago. Here too, Christians and Hindus join hands on the first Monday after Christmas to appease the deity who is believed to protect the village.“The Siolim zagor is unique, and you won’t find such togetherness anywhere,” says Ajit Kashinath Shirodkar, 74, who has himself enacted a role at the zagor and has now passed it on to his son, Deepak. medium106501363Interestingly, Deepak plays a female character, as women continue to be disallowed from taking part in the drama.The festivities only begin in the night. It starts with a procession from the original location known as ‘adi-sthan’ where religious icons of the Hindu and Christian communities can be found inside the small shrine. From here, the men move towards the maand, or sacred place, with dry coconut fronds lit as torches, singing ovios at every chapel along the way. medium106501378Members of the surari (torch-light) procession, which consists of boys and men, then gather on the stage to dance, following which the performance begins.The vigil to Zagorio ends only at daybreak, with the ‘Mharinn’ going from house to house, where she is offered sannas, roasted grams and feni on behalf of the deity.medium nocaption106521157Photos: Rajtilak Naik