Out of some Unique festivals in Goa, Shisharanni is a customary ritual performed every third year during the Shigmo festival at the Mallikarjun Temple in Gaodongrim, Canacona. The name Shisharanni comes from shisha, referring to a type of tree, and ranni, indicating a traditional cooking place. Shisha also means a head. The ritual is associated with three gades, believed to be human-like representations of God on earth for a brief period.
During the ritual, the gades, adorned in traditional attire and turbans, lie on the ground with their heads forming the sides of a makeshift stove. An earthen pot filled with rice, water, and human blood is placed on this stove, and burning shisham logs are used to boil it.
Most Unusual Festival in Goa That You Must Witness in 2023
The gades heads are covered with wet cloth and layers of plantain trunk. A person involved in the ritual pierces each gado’s arm and back with a needle and thread, rendering them unconscious. The needle-piercing symbolizes that the gades are blessed with the powers of God. Then, the bark of the banana tree is placed near their heads, and an earthen pot is set over them to cook rice. The branches of the shisha tree are burnt under the pot, creating a replica of a cooking stove. Locals believe that the gades are protected by God, even when the burnt shisha is placed near their heads.
Once the rice is cooked, a person uses a sword to make a cut in the crown of another participant’s head. Then the blood is added to the cooked rice. This symbolizes a sacrifice. Finally, the cooked rice with a drop of blood is thrown at the people, but it is considered bad luck as it is cooked using sacrificial blood. Hence people move away when it is thrown at them.
Suggested Read: Sheni Uzzo-A Festival of Fire at Molcornem, Goa
Gaodongrim comprises 12 villages, and a person from each village gets a cane, which is dipped in holy water and served to the people after the completion of Shisharanni. People from different parts of Goa, Karwar, and nearby regions visit to pray to their respective God during this event.
Visit our Website to know more about Unique Festivals in Goa?
We at Hinterscapes take you to a Goa tour from a different angle. Goa is beyond beaches and night life. Visit our website and book your most affordable package which will give you a Goan feel of anything you do. Experience the real magic of Hinterland tourism in Goa.
Suggested Read: 14 Bizzare Festivals in Goa that will Leave You Thrilled
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to watch few amazing videos of unseen Goa. Stay tuned to our blog to read more of such interesting articles on unique festivals of Goa as well as other minute details about Goa. Please tell us in comments how you felt about this unique Goan festival.
