Goa temple stampede: State’s tourism department cancels ‘Spirit of Goa’ festival

In light of the Goa temple stampede, the Goa’s Department of Tourism on Saturday announced the cancellation of the remainder of the ‘Spirit of Goa’ festival on not only May 3 but also 4.

The event was being held at the SAG Grounds in Goa`s Colva.

A spokesperson from the department said that the decision was taken in light of the tragic incident at the Lairai Zatra in Shirgao, where a stampede occurred, leading to loss of lives and injuries to several people who were admitted to a hospital and currently undergoing medical treatment.

According to the PTI, the stampede occurred at around 3 am during the annual Lairai Jatra festival, claiming six lives and leaving at least 75 others injured. It reportedly broke out as thousands of devotees thronged the narrow lanes to the temple.

As people across the state mourn the tragedy, the department has released a statement saying it prioritises the safety, well-being, and sentiments of the people of Goa during this difficult time and expresses its deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.

The ‘Spirit of Goa’ festival, which started on May 2, was set to take place until May 4, but had to be cut short due to the untimely stampede.

Set to take place across three days, the event was intended to be a vibrant celebration of Goa’s rich culture of food, drink, and music. It featured 40 stalls and a wide spectrum of locally distilled beverages with innovative Feni infusions, premium gins, and craft beers. The food stalls offered dishes made from banana flower, kokum, raw jackfruit, Bimla (bimbli), and mango, bringing together authentic Saraswat, Konkan, and Christian cuisines.

The Shirgao Yatra, popularly known as the Lairai Jatra festival, is one of Goa’s most prominent festivals, celebrated annually in honour of the Goddess Lairai in Shirgao village of Bicholim, and the Hindu goddess is primarily worshipped in the sunshine state, according to the Goa app. It further states that one of the most defining rituals of the festival is the fire-walking ritual where “devotees, known as “dhonds,” walk barefoot across a bed of burning embers as a testament to devotion and spiritual purity”.