Shri Shantadurga Kunkalikarin Chatrostav

Once a year, on the tithi of Rangpanchami, on the 5 th of Phalgun (that is usually in March), the idol of Shree Shantadurga is brought back from Fatorpa to Cuncolim under a procession of twelve umbrellas ( Sotris ) that are carried by the descendents of Satpurush i.e. the sath vangdis (7 direct descendents) and the panch vangdis (5 associates) Catholic and Hindu. On this day, a puja is performed in the temple of Shree Shantadurga in Fatorpa by the twelve vangdis and the deity is put in a silver palanquin to bring her back to Cuncolim. As the deity leaves the temple at Fatorpa, Gulal (color) is put on the Goddess and on the image of the Gods that are installed near her temple and the palanquin is taken out in the shelter of the twelve umbrellas. The descendents of Mhal, Shetkar, Naik, Mongro, Sombro, Thombro and Porobo who are the sons of Satpurush stand on the right side of the palanquin and the descendents of the other five vangdis, i.e. Siddhakali, Lokakali, Bandekar, Rovno and Bheklo stand on the left side of the same palanquin. This is a privilege and status that is given to each of the vangdis . A large number of men and boys accompany the twelve symbolic umbrellas as they jump and dance during the procession. The procession winds back along the old route that was taken by the Chieftains who had escaped with the deity in 1583. The deity is brought from Fatorpa to Mallanguinim via Gotton, Bhiunsa, Sidhanager, Oddi, Mokhim and kept at Toliembhatt in Cuncolim in a Mulsthan or a special place that is erected for her when she comes back to the village once a year. She is then taken to Kulvaddo that was the site of her original temple at Cuncolim. A pandal ( Mattovali ) is erected at every holy site and decorated with mango leaves, banana trees, coconuts, fruits and flowers. Every vangdi puts a garland on the Sotri according to the number of their clan. The people honor the Goddess and offer flowers, coconuts and other offerings on steel or silver trays. The occupying priests ( Bhatji ) bless everyone. As She approaches the heart of the village of Cuncolim, a huge barrage of gunpowder, bombs and strings of firecrackers explode. Smoke rises up steeply into the air, the drummers beat out their rhymes, the whirling youth who carry the Umbrellas, dance their hardest and the waiting crowds of some thousands of people press forward. The Goddess is not kept overnight in Cuncolim, as it is believed that it is her native place. It is believed that as the image is taken back to Fatorpa in the evening, it becomes heavy. The route that is followed to take her back is the one that was taken by vangdis when they escaped from Cuncolim to Fatorpa. The Goddess is taken back via Toliembhat, Marad, Benkleamvaddo, Maddicotto, Demani, Pairaband, Ballicotto, Bomdamol to Fatorpa in a procession of thousands of devotees that walk behind the twelve decorative umbrellas that are mounted on twelve decorative poles. Each of the twelve umbrellas stands for one of the ‘original' twelve clans of the Kshatriya caste that inhabit her village and were once instrumental in raising her temple.