The traditional Navelim procession

The Traditional Navelim procession

by Francisco Rodrigues

Telaulim a little known hamlet of Navelim on the banks of river Sal which usually lulls to sleep to the lullaby of its flowing waters every night stays awake throughout the eleventh night preceding the famous feast of Our Lady of Rosary of Navelim.

The reason for this is that the whole village is agog with excitement as it prepares itself for a colourful candle light early morning procession attended by thousands of devotees and public alike which commences surprisingly in the early morning at 3.30 a.m. and wends its way to the Navelim church along with the image of Our Lady of Fatima beautifully adorned with flowers.

This procession has an age old tradition akin to all saints procession of Goa Velha, Our Lady of Miracles, Mapusa etc. As per the tradition the origin of the procession which has gained immense popularity due to the blessings of Mother Mary lies in the fact that the original inhabitants of Telaulim (Gaonkars of the place) used to leave for the Western Ghats on the eve of the novena of its village patroness - Our Lady of Rosary - to fetch merchandise mainly cattle for the three-day fair (known as the Boilacho Fest in its heydays) which is a massive affair in the whole of Salcete and which presently continues throughout the week following the feast day.

This procession has originally gained importance half a century ago during the tenure of Telaulim chaplain late Padre Camilo Coutinho. The sick, aged, infirm and expectant mothers foot out the 3 km stretch in thousands in fulfillment of their vows having obtained many miraculous favours from the blessed mother. Initially it was the chapel’s patron Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s image which was carried in procession to Navelim church for safe keeping due to fear of invasions as men folk of the village left for the Western Chats. As time passed this image was substituted by the image of Our Lady of Fatima donated by the Late Jose Roque Caetano Pires through the good offices of the late Regedor of Telaulim, Jose Minguel Pires de Menezes, a philanthrophist.

The simple hard working villagers are a talented and well-knit community having secured a name for themselves in having excelled in various fields and moreover they have won the prestigious 1st prize at the annual all-Goa carol singing competition at least on 3 occasions organised by Kala Academy during the X’Mas season and also organise the popular all-Goa motorcycle rally contest attended by thousands of spectators.

Incidentally this year the feast mass of Our Lady of Rosary which is celebrated on the 3rd Wednesday of November since centuries will be solemnised by Rev Dr Fr Thomas de Aquino Sequeira, Rector of Rachol seminary on November 19 and the unique early morning candle light procession heralding the 1st day of the novena will commence on November 10 at 3.30 a.m. This will be followed by the traditional open air mass celebrated by the Telaulim chaplain Rev Fr Antonio Rodrigues at 5 a.m. at the Rosary school ground, he having the right of celebrating this 1st day early morning service, which is an event worth witnessing and participating.

The Our Lady of Rosary church which happens to be the largest parish in Asia with around 30,000 believers was founded 400 years ago by a French Jesuit priest, Fr Jean de Sena and originally comprised of Margao’s Grace church, Aquem church (earlier known Pandava Copel), Dicarpale church and St Jose de Areal Church. The present Navelim parish is the hub of many an activity of the Navelim village having a full-fledged college, schools, Cardinal Gracias parish centre, football and other sporting events with a music school and a college of nursing in the offing.

There is a high aspiration of the people that this church be eventually elevated with the blessings of Mother Mary into a full-fledged headquarters of a diocese with a Bishop’s house in South Goa being ideally located and having a vibrant self sustaining community, situated only 1 km from Madgaum Konkan Railway Station.

In time to come this church dedicated to the much revered Mother Mary having bestowed so many devours upon thousands of its pilgrims be it Christians, Hindus, Muslims, alike would eventually be a centre of pilgrimage where devotees throng from far flung places like Mumbai etc would flock by chartering special trains or buses akin to pilgrimage’s to Nasik and Vailankani as can be surmised from the immense growing fervent devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary at Navelim down the centuries.

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