You can be his follower or detractor but either way you have to admire him. When Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited Goa, his followers came in thousands to catch a glimpse of the man they proclaim as god. To hear him speak words of wisdom, to touch his feet or simply to get a hold of a flower petal he touched, the atmosphere was charged with a good bit of frenzy.

Founder of the Art of Living foundation, one of the most affluent trusts in the world, he promotes breathing and meditation techniques that help calm the body and mind. The techniques are said to be beneficial for various ailments as well and has found a large number of takers across the globe – people who may not be religious minded at all.

However, where he excels is among those who proclaim him as god himself – “Guruji, gurudev, we love you!” they chant to which he responds, “I know you love me”

That’s Ravi Shankar!

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The village of Pernem in north Goa, nestles in the foothills of the Sayadhris bordering Maharashtra. For the most part it is a quiet place, save for the two industrial estates in the area. But, once a year, just after the Hindu festival of Dussera, it comes alive with the famous Pernem zatra, drawing crowds from across Goa and neighbouring states.

The weeklong festival begins on the day after Dussera. Crowds flock to the three temples in the area to pay obeisance to the gods. The two traditional ‘tirangas’ or canopies are taken in procession from one temple to the next, across the period of the festival.

Folklore has it that several hundred years ago, the festival used to have three canopies that were taken in procession to the three temples. However, one canopy fell into a well in the area. To this day, on the night of Dussera each year, villagers claim to hear the sound of a splash in the vicinity of the well.

Another folklore is set in a period before the arrival of the Portuguese in Goa. According to village elders, one devout villager was away in the neighbouring Maharashtra at the time of the zatra.

Desperate to pay his respects at his ancestral temple, he was travelling on the final night of the festival and came to the Pernem river. He fervently prayed for some means to cross the river to reach the temple. Of a sudden, a man passed by in a little canoe and offered him a ride across. On getting to the other side, he turned back to offer the canoe rider some money. But mysteriously he had vanished! The man’s house, now in ruins, is still a pilgrimage spot during the zatra.

The final day is truly special. According to believers, on this night, a spirit descends on a village elder who is then endowed with special powers. Possessed with the spirit, he runs through sections of the village with his followers behind, blessing the faithful. Faithful bring those possessed by demons in the hope that they will be cleansed this day. Unfortunately, even those mentally unstable are brought here, to their detriment.

Crowds throng the area for blessings or just a glimpse of the man gifted by the spirits. Darkness fills the night, save for the light of fire torches as they make their way through the village. The passion and devotion is indeed palpable, the atmosphere is thick with the supernatural – an eerie silence falls over the teeming thousands.

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From gourmet meals in the plush five-star hotels to the humble fish curry and rice in every home in Goa, no dish would be worth its salt without – salt! The great Mahatma organized the famous Dandi March to safeguard the interest of salt pan workers. “You are the salt of the earth” says the Bible elevating this simple chemical compound Sodium Chloride into a virtue of self giving. “Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea.” said Greek philosopher Pythagoras. But for the ordinary men and women who toil in the salt pans in Goa no one will give a salty grain of thought.
Today saltpan workers have been reduced to practical oblivion – an oddity for tourists at best. So dismal is their condition, so uncertain their future that many who have known no other occupation for decades are today considering giving up their ancestral occupation.

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Villagers commemorate the festival of Holi by walking across fire on the preceeding night. Preparations start in the morning with a large “holi” – a pile of logs set up before the village temple. In the evening, the menfolk walk up the adjoining hillock to the old cremation ground. Here they perform rituals to call on the village protectors (spirits) – the devchars. After some chanting and praying, two men suddenly fell to the ground, wriggling and turning. I’m told they were possessed by the devchar. A third man, appeared to be in two states of possession and non-possession. Villagers shouted at the devchar to manifest himself in the man. To which the spirit responded (through the man) that some village disputes were preventing the manifestation.
After a lot of heated discussions among the villagers, the three possessed men took the flame and ran down the hill and lit the “holy”. After this, they ran right through the entire village, torch in hand, ostensibly possessed. This is a ritual followed over centuries in many villages. How they manage to get the stamina to run through the village is remarkable.
In the wee hours, on the day of Holi, the embers of the holi bon-fire are spread out and the menfolk run across it, barefeet. They are then followed by even women and children. I acutally saw a woman, holding an infant, run barefeet across the fire. In most cases, there were no visible burn marks.
Later, the three possessed men sit before the temple and answer individual questions of the villagers. These include problems between neighbours, personal and family problems and even career issues. I’m told, people believe these questions are directly answered by the “protector” of the village.
This seems an interesting concept as far as unity and harmony in a village are concerned as this is one occasion where village disputes are addressed.

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