When people think about Goa, the first image that comes to mind is of parties, sea side, beaches, drinking, and the likes. But, hidden from the limelight, is a Goa and certain traditions that have been around for centuries, helping people and the locals live life peacefully.
And while most people visit Goa in hopes of having some fun and spending their time partying and enjoying, certain rituals and traditions of Goa are missed and do not get the recognition and love that they should.
The Pednyachi Punav
In the range of festivals and traditions that Goa hosts, there is one that has caught people’s eye. This tradition is the ‘Pednyachi punav’, celebrated on the night of Kojagiri Purnima in the Pedne taluka of Goa, and this ancient ritual is believed to rid people of any evil, black magic, witchcraft, or evil energies that could be affecting them.
As the full moon night is considered holy and auspicious in India, the last night of Dussehra in the temple is dedicated to Lord Ravalnath and Lord Bhutnath.
The protectors
The Pednyachi punav is dedicated to Lord Ravalnath and Lord Bhutnath, two protective deities who help people and rid them of evil. Lord Ravalnath is worshipped as a guardian against evil, and depicted as a warrior, and Lord Bhutnath is known as the lord of spirits. Both of them are housed in the same temple within the premises of Shri Bhagwati temple, and it is said that Lord Bhutnath shares the temple space with Lord Ravalnath.
The ritual
The main ritual in the temple begins at 12:00 AM at night and goes on for 4-5 hours. According to sources, people who feel that they have been possessed by evil come here with their families, their hair open wide, and once they enter the temple premises and the pujas start, they start behaving weirdly, almost as if the spirit within them is controlling them.
The ‘Gaddas’
On the night of Kojagiri Purnima, ‘Gaddas’ or religious men who are believed to be incarnations of Lord Bhutnath and have some figments of his power run towards the forest and the devotees run behind them to pacify them. Legends say that the Gaddas do this to express Lord Bhutnath’s anger over not having his own temple and having to share the place with Lord Ravalnath, and he demands that the temple be built overnight. The devotees then run behind him and chant in regional language to pacify him that the temple is being built.