If it’s August, it’s time for 'Konsachem Fest' in Goa

The monsoon season is drawing to a close, and paddy fields all over the state are brimming with bright shades of green. August is upon us, and for Goa’s Catholic community, this month ushers in Konsachem Fest — the Festival of Sheaves — which is more than a mere celebration of the land’s agrarian roots; it is also a time of thanksgiving for the bounty of the land.

What sets this feast apart from the others is the unique tradition of the parish priest cutting and blessing the first sheaves of local paddy.

WHERE, WHEN IT BEGINS

The first Konsachem Fest (also called Novidades) in the state is celebrated on August 5, in Raia, Salcete, and coincides with the feast of the Our Lady of Snows (Nossa Senhora das Neves), the patroness of the church of the same name. The sheaves, blessed during the feast mass, are offered to the Rachol Seminary.

In Bardez taluka, Konsachem Fest begins on August 6 in the neighbouring villages of Salvador do Mundo and Aldona. In Salvador do Mundo, the feast of the Saviour of the World (Salvador do Mundo), who is the patron of the church, is observed on the same day. As part of the celebrations in Salvador do Mundo, the parish priest blesses the new paddy grown in the khazan lands in the vicinity of the church.

Meanwhile, Aldona celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus on August 6.

MOST NOTABLE

The feast is celebrated in a grand way in Taleigao (in Tiswadi taluka), spanning four days, from August 21 to August 24. It is celebrated by the village’s nine vangors — Mendonca, Viegas, Martins, Luis, Gomes, Faria, Almeida, Falcao and Abreu — in a tradition that dates back to the time when the Portuguese granted Taleigao the privilege of being the first in Tiswadi to cut, bless, and present the season’s sheaves to the governor.

And so, every year, on the feast day, a procession carrying cut sheaves heads to the Governor’s residence in Dona Paula and presents the sheaves to him. On the same day, sheaves are also taken to Old Goa, where they are offered at the altar of Se Cathedral.

In Divar, the feast is better known as the hugely popular Bonderam, which is celebrated on the fourth Saturday in August, complete with a procession of colourful flags. Interestingly, there are two versions of Bonderam on the island.

While these are among the most well-known celebrations, Konsachem Fest is, in fact, celebrated across Goa on different dates, in keeping with local parish traditions.