Canacona/Bicholim: Dussehra celebrations at temples across Goa culminated after nine days of rituals and festivities with worship of Apte trees, exchanges of leaves and deity processions. The observances also marked the start of the paddy harvest season, linking temple traditions with agricultural and community life.At Shree Mallikarjun Devasthan in Shristhal, Canacona, the deity’s palanquin was taken in a short procession to Kashi Purush temple. The deity’s Wangadi carried swords and joined the traditional ceremony of looting Apte leaves. After priests worshipped the tree, devotees collected its leaves, considered to represent ‘gold’.Shree Mallikarjun was then worshipped, and Apte leaves were distributed as prasad. Devotees exchanged the leaves as ‘gold’ and embraced each other, conveying love, brotherhood and mutual goodwill, temple chairman Rajendra Desai said.Navaratrotsav festivities also concluded with traditional fervour and religious devotion at several temples across Bicholim taluka on Tuesday. At Shri Mahamaya Kalika Devasthan in Kasarpal, celebrations began with Ghatsthapana and included pujas, Mahaprasad, bhajans and kirtanas.The main highlight was Goddess Kalika’s evening palanquin procession from the temple to Simer, accompanied by devotees. At Simer, devotees performed the customary gold-grabbing ritual before the palanquin returned to the temple. The ceremony ended with devotees receiving the first corn of the newly harvested paddy.Dussehra was also observed at Shri Shantadurga temples at Gaonkarwada and Atil Peth in Bicholim, Chamundeshwari temple at Piligao, Sateri Mahamaya temple at Bordem, Vandevi temple at Mulgao and Sharvani temple at Advalpal. At Shri Shantadurga Devasthan in Gaonkarwada, celebrations featured the traditional Taranga procession of deities Ravalnath and Bhutnath.
