Mapusa’s Our Lady of Miracles feast celebrated
Mapusa: The feast of our lady of Milagres also known as our lady of miracles was celebrated with religious fervour
A fortnight after Easter, Mapusa celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Milagres (Miracles). Always celebrated on a Monday the feast is celebrated at St Jerome’s Church after nine days of novenas.
across the state, especially Hindus, also come to venerate and pay obeisance to Milagres Saibinn, who is known from granting miracles.
While praying to Our Lady, people offer candles, oil, money, parts of human body made out of wax, and even sarees. There are two statues kept for veneration for 15 days, to allow those who wish to pay their obeisance to visit them, before they are moved inside the church.
There are people who also vow to beg for alms, with a coconut shell ‘kotti’ in their hands on the feast day. The money collected is used to buy oil, candles or whatever vowed by the devotee- “Hanv borim zalim zalear, bhik magon Tuji angonn farik kortellim”-is the promise made. Oil is also poured on the statue of Our Lady that is kept for veneration, generally by Hindus.
According to folklore, Milagres is one of the seven sisters who converted to the Catholic religion. Another sister who was converted is the patron of the chapel of Our Lady of Remedios in Cansaulim. The other sisters are worshipped in different temples. These are Lairai at Shirgao, Mhamai at Mayem, Kelbai at Mulgao, Monai at Morjim, Mahalsa at Mardol. The youngest sister apparently committed Sati.
Another interesting tradition of the past would be the ‘ojem’, gifts sent by the two sisters, Lairai and Milagres, to each other. While Lairai would send one pot of oil, Milagres would send a basket of flowers (mogrim). These gifts were sent on the day of the feast and the zatra respectively.
Despite the heat, people were seen thronging for mass on Monday in the Church premises.
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