By Louis Rodrigues –
Belgaum: Come December and the Konkani-speaking Goan settlers, across the upper region adjacent to Western Ghats between Yellapur in Karnataka to Kolhapur in southern Maharashtra, commence their advent by paying rich tribute to St Francis Xavier. This is done every year by an exhaustive walking pilgrimage to Old Goa to attend the feast of the saint on December 3 every year.
Thus, continuing the tradition of about 38 years and kindled with hope and faith in St Francis Xavier, whom they affectionately call as ‘Goencho Saib’ (Lord of Goa), about 100 walking pilgrims concluded their walking pilgrimage this year too.
Hailing from various villages and towns comprising of Belgaum, Khanapur, Kolhapur, Ichalkaranji, Ajara, Gadhinglaj, Chandgad and Sindhudurg district , most of these pilgrims began their pilgrimage on December 28. The distance that was covered by feet varied from a minimum of 80 kms to a maximum of about 235 kms.
The tradition of the walking pilgrimage was started by the great Jesuit, late Swami Prabhudhar in 1982 from Ajara. It is a tiny hamlet in Kolhapur district bordering Konkan region, and a former Jesuit parish which now belongs to the Diocese of Sindhudurg. During the first pilgrimage seven pilgrims had set afoot from Ajara to Old Goa, walking a distance of about 250 kms, to and fro. Since then the number has grown to about a thousand pilgrims, however, due to too much of strain and time factor now it has become a one-way walking to Old Goa.
Comprising of Christians and other faiths, some of these pilgrims take the historic Ramghat while others reach Goa via Chorla Ghat. Apart from youngsters, the group comprises elderly men, women and children as small as four years.
“Many of these pilgrims come from the rural areas of Belgaum, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts and have been taking part in this pilgrimage since three decades,” said Fr Augustine, parish priest of Our Lady of Milagris Church, Khanapur, who has been accompanying these pilgrims every year.
En route, the walking pilgrims make three halts, the last one being at Bicholim and Sakhli in Goa and proceed to Old Goa early morning on December 2. “Our prayers are answered, our problems are solved, we salute our ‘Goencho Saib’,” says Simon Rodrigues, who comes all the way from Ichalkaranji, about the farthest place from Old Goa, about 230 kms.
Incidentally, Simon and many other walking pilgrims are Zonkars of different Communidades in Goa and have their ancestral properties and links to Goa. A movement identified as “Ghatmathyavoilleam Zonnkaracho Ekvott ” (unity of the Zonkars in upper ghats region) is taking shape aimed at seeking the rights of these estranged Goans over the land of their forefathers.
“The number is increasing every year, this year the about 1,000 walking pilgrims from different quartets took part in the pilgrimage. Like every year, a special mass was be celebrated at Old Goa Sunday evening for these pilgrims,” said Fr Joe Monteiro, parish priest of St Anthony Church at Gadhinglaj, and nephew of Swami Prabhudhar, who has just returned from the pilgrimage, told the Indian Catholic Matters.
While the pilgrims reside at temporary tents that are erected near the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, there is a demand for a permanent place so that Goan settlers visiting Old Goa frequently are accommodated.
Photo caption: A batch of walking pilgrims from Belgaum district on the way to Old Goa.