Reported by: Katedralacho ULO Editorial Board
The Karam Festival, celebrating harvest and nature, organised by the Hindi-speaking Somudai of Sé Catedral, Old Goa, on the 05th of October 2025. This cherished harvest celebration, rooted in tribal traditions, honours the Karam tree as a symbol of prosperity and protection, connecting migrants to the ancestral homes. On this day the tribal community prays for the protection of crops and for the unmarried girls to be blessed with good fortune and fruitful lives as future mothers.
The celebration began at 11.00 a.m. with the Eucharistic service. The priests and the faithful were welcomed with a traditional tribal prayer dance. This symbolic dance honours the creation and the creator. It was followed by the incensing and blessing of the Karam Dali (tree branch) with Holy Cross at its centre, reminding the faithful of the triumph of our salvation through the Holy Cross.
The altar was decorated with Jawa (millet) saplings and flowers symbolising new life and renewal, inviting the faithful to thank the creator for water, forest, land and the richness of creation.
The main celebrant Fr. Hemant Xess , Ofm, in his homily connected the Karam festival, a jubilee of creation to the jubilee of migrants of the faithful residing and working in Goa. The mass was concelebrated by Fr. Simao Rodrigues, Dean, Old-Goa Deanery, Fr. Rosario Oliveira, Parish Priest, Sé Catedral and Diocesan Commission for migrants’ member Fr. Micheal Pereira, Svd. The Choir echoed the Cathedral walls with the sound of the mandar and kartal (musical instruments) played by the tribal community.
After the Eucharistic celebration, the event continued with a cultural programme. The Guests of Honour were welcomed with a tribal shawl and a rose. The celebrant priests were joined by the Assistant Parish Priest Fr. Jason K. Fernandes, Priest in residence Fr. Jose Remedios Fernandes, Bro. Lourdes Simoes, sisters from nearby convents and representatives of the Parish Council whose warm presence blessed the gathering.
A lively skit brought the Karam story to life, followed by cultural songs, dances and heartfelt performances by the groups present from the surrounding places. The Chief Guest, Fr. Simao Rodrigues in his speech said we are all migrants making everyone present feeling loved, cared for, accepted as one family of Christ. Fr. Rosario Oliveira’s heartfelt message to welcome and celebrate jubilee with the migrant brothers and sisters touched every heart. His consistent efforts offering mass in Hindi language every second Sunday and forming migrants Somudai, and including migrant representatives in the PPC reflect his deep commitment to unity inclusiveness and Synodal Church.
The Karam Festival was attended by around 800 Hindi speaking migrants from different places in Goa. It was far more than a cultural event, it was a testimony of faith, gratitude and unity. Through this celebration, we are reminded that faith transcends language and origin, binding us together in Christ.
The celebration ended with the Se’ gardens transforming into a lively scene of dance, shared meals and laughter, mirroring the festive spirit of the migrants’ home town celebrations.
