Bicholim: ‘Dhonds’ of Shree Devi Lairai are set to conclude their annual ritual at the jatra that begins on Tuesday. These special devotees of the goddess, not just from the state but also from Maharashtra and Karnataka, have already begun their fast on Friday.President of the Lairai temple Dinanath Gaonkar said the prime attraction of the Shirgao jatra is the ‘homkund’, where the ‘dhonds’ walk over a carpet of coal.After last year’s stampede, a special meeting of ‘dhonds’ was organised wherein they were briefed on their role during the jatra.He said during the jatrotsav the dhonds follow a pious routine where they take a holy dip before having their breakfast and dinner.On the festival day, after performing all the rituals, including the ‘garhane’, all the ‘dhonds’ take a dip in the temple pond, ‘Devichi Tali’. After the humkund is lit, the dhonds dance around the homkund until dawn. When the fire is reduced to coal, the ‘dhonds’ walk barefoot on a bed of coal, chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’.The jatra then continues for another four days, marking the ‘Kaulotsav’, where a kalash, representing the goddess, is carried to all the houses in the village. The goddess returns to the temple on the fifth day of the jatra.While devotees throng the village to witness the homkund on the first day, many from across the state visit Shirgao during the four days of ‘Kaulotsav’.
