The Lairai Temple in Shirgao, Goa, is known for its annual fire-walking festival, Igitun Chalne. It’s a beautiful and historic temple dedicated to Goddess Lairai. Shirgao is a small village in Goa. This village is well-known for its temple dedicated to the deity Lairai Devi. It is among the oldest temples in Goa. People from Goa and nearby states come to pray at the Goddess Lairai Devi shrine. The temple features a stunning dome and a pyramid-like structure. The goddess Lairai Devi liked mogra flowers. The jatra at this temple is held in late April or early May. Shri Devi Lairai jatra is one of the Goa famous jatra, wherein thousands of devotees fast for five days and do a fire walk. This festival is known as the Lairai dhondachi jatra.
Some of the dhonds even start fasting from Gudi Padwa one month before the jatra. They don’t eat non Veg food for one month. Any devotee of the goddess, including women and children, has the option to become a dhond. During the fasting period, people must follow a strict lifestyle, leaving their houses and entering temples, dharamshalas or in jungle.
The final and most spectacular part of the jatra then begins. In the early hours of the morning when the fire has died down, the raking of the coals begins. The dhonds await their turn to walk on the holy path of hot coals. Around 4 a.m., the actual ritual starts, with the dhonds running through the hot coals(humkand) carrying their sticks with the name of Devi Lairai. It is said that the fire does no harm to the just devotees who walk calmly through the embers.
Seven sisters of lairai devi
The story of the seven sisters and their brother has been popular folklore in Hindu Dharma. In Goa, it exists in the tale of the sisters—Kelbai, Mahamaya, Lairai, Mirabai (or Milagres), Morjai, Sheetalai, and Adadeepa—and their brother Khetoba.
Why there is kalas in temple instead of Murti of shri Lairai devi
You must know about Goa’s most famous Jatra, which is Shirgao Jatra. Many people do not know why a new temple had to be built despite the existence of a Larai Devi temple. And why is a kalas kept in that temple apart from the idol? I will tell you a story I have heard about it. It is a very old story that two thieves came to the temple of Goddess Lairai to steal the golden face of Goddess Lairai.
When Lahrai Devi came to know that these thieves had come to the temple to steal,. After finding out, Laine Devi kept those thieves near a tali. After that, Laine Devi comes in the dream of a citizen of the village and says that two thieves have come to my temple to steal, and I have kept them near the tali. Later, she appeared in the pujari’s dream and said, Do not harm them. Bring a pair of clothes, lift them from the lake, and drop them safely outside the village.
After that it came to the mind of the villagers that the Devi Lairai temple is on one side, and we live on another. If such an incident happens again, it may be dangerous. So they placed a prastav (prasad) before Devi Lairai to allow the construction of a new temple in the center of the village, close to the people. Devi Lairai accepted the prastav (prasad) with grace. But when the temple was built, one more question raised in the villagers minds was, How can we install an idol when Devi Lairai is still swayambhu at the original (old) temple?”
Now the temple was closed and completed, and now the time had come to install the idol. The goddess is already installed in the old temple; now, how to bring her to the new temple? This question came to everyone’s mind. Then people again took the prasad and questioned the goddess, and the goddess said to install a vase in place of the idol. This is why there is a kalas in the temple instead of an idol.
How to reach shirgao lairai devi temple
By road
By road you will first have to come to Assonora, Bicholim. The Larai Devi Temple is 2 kms from Assonora. And Assonora is 22 kms from Panjim. Assonora is 7 kms from Bicholim.
By Train
By train you will get nearby railway stations is Thivim railway station. From thivim railway station it is around 5.4km.