admin Once, on the ninth day (Navami) of the month of Vaishakh, a Friday, a seven-day Ram-Mahotsav (Festival of Rama) began there. For this occasion, the Lord of Sacrifice, the chanting of Rama’s name, various donations, and feasts for Brahmins featuring the “six flavors” (Shada-rasa) commenced. Some people began to dance and sing songs in praise … Read more
Verne is a town in Salcette district of South Goa particularly famous in GSB culture because that is where our Kuldevi Mahalasa was originally situated. The place was then called Varunapur. We have seen a number of webresources say it was Varenyapur but not found any classical references. Given the text from a Purana itself, … Read more
In the GSB tradition, every family has a deity called Kuldevata. While GSBs worship other deities according to their faith, the Kuldevatas hold a special place in our worship synonymous to our relationship with our parents; assigned to us at birth. History shows us that during the portuguese inquisition our ancestors suffered greatly and sacrificed … Read more
A small temple dedicated to Shri Hanuman, also known as Anjaneya (son of Anjani) and Mukhyaprana (the chief life force), stands in Baalehonoor, a small town home to around 40 GSB families. The idol of Hanuman is adorned with a silver covering. In 1876, Sahukar K. P. Subraya Prabhu built a simple shelter over a Hanuman idol that he had … Read more
In today’s world, the idea of living as a sumaṁgalī—the “blessed one,” a woman whose husband is alive—and dying as one feels distant, almost outdated. The visible signs of marriage, such as the bindi or the mangalsutra, no longer define a woman’s place in society. At least on the surface, marriage no longer dictates a … Read more