Zatra
Encyclopedia
Zatra is the Konkani language
term for the pilgrimage festivals celebrated at Hindu temples in Goa; the Hindi
and Marathi
language equivalents are Yatra
and Jatra
.
During the Zatra, the idol(s) or murti
s of the Hindu deity or deities are taken out on special procession either in a "Palkhi" (sort of a Palanquin) or in a large, multi-storied chariot called the Rath.
Traditionally, every temple observes this festival once a year on the traditional day. All zatras usually occur after Diwali
in October and continues until the Shigmo
festival in March.
The most famous Zatra of Goa is that of the temple of the Hindu deity Damodar
at Zambaulim, a place located roughly 40 km away from Margao
when people walk on burning coals with bare legs.
Also occurring during the Zatra is the phenomenon of possession, usually but not exclusively of women, by the spirit of the deity; this is called Bhar, whereby they act as oracles and claim to predict future events.
Outside of Goa, the most famous Zatra is the Rath Yatra
of the Jagannath Temple
in Puri, Orissa
, India
, which contributed the word Juggernaut
to the English language.
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
term for the pilgrimage festivals celebrated at Hindu temples in Goa; the Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
language equivalents are Yatra
Yatra
' , in Hinduism and other Indian religions, generally means pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Tīrtha-yātrā refers to a pilgrimage to a holy site, and is...
and Jatra
Jatra
Jatra can mean:* Jatra street festival* Jatra street festival or Carnival* Jatra form of entertainment* Jatra...
.
During the Zatra, the idol(s) or murti
Murti
In Hinduism, a murti , or murthi, or vigraha or pratima typically refers to an image which expresses a Divine Spirit . Meaning literally "embodiment", a murti is a representation of a divinity, made usually of stone, wood, or metal, which serves as a means through which a divinity may be worshiped...
s of the Hindu deity or deities are taken out on special procession either in a "Palkhi" (sort of a Palanquin) or in a large, multi-storied chariot called the Rath.
Traditionally, every temple observes this festival once a year on the traditional day. All zatras usually occur after Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
in October and continues until the Shigmo
Shigmo
Shigmo , or Shishirotsava, is a spring festival celebrated in the Indian state of Goa, where it is one of the major festivals of the Hindu community...
festival in March.
The most famous Zatra of Goa is that of the temple of the Hindu deity Damodar
Damodar (name of Krishna)
Damodar is the 367th name of Vishnu from the Vishnu sahasranama. The various meanings of the name are given as follows:...
at Zambaulim, a place located roughly 40 km away from Margao
Margao
Margao and commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is the administrative headquarters of South Goa district and of the Salcete taluka.- Etymology :...
when people walk on burning coals with bare legs.
Also occurring during the Zatra is the phenomenon of possession, usually but not exclusively of women, by the spirit of the deity; this is called Bhar, whereby they act as oracles and claim to predict future events.
Outside of Goa, the most famous Zatra is the Rath Yatra
Rath Yatra
Ratha Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June or July. Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area...
of the Jagannath Temple
Jagannath Temple
-India:*Jagannath Temple, Puri, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Koraput, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Nayagarh, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India*Jagannath Temple, Delhi, India...
in Puri, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, which contributed the word Juggernaut
Juggernaut
A juggernaut in colloquial English usage is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as mercilessly destructive and unstoppable.Originating in ca...
to the English language.