THE SOTREO ZATRA
The zatra, which takes place around December/January every year, is also known as sotreo after the brightly-coloured, heavily bedecked umbrellas which are carried in a procession. The procession winds through at least six kilometers of impossibly narrow village lanes and thorny forest bushes, making stops at different houses, even some belonging to Catholics. The procession is said to be a tracing of the route by which the idol was transported to its current site centuries ago. The palanquin of the deity is taken to the original site of the temple demolished by the Portuguese during the Cuncolim Revolt. The procession led by 12 umbrella carrying men representing the 12 communities of Cuncolim, whose ancestors had moved the idol to Fatorpa. Then, it's taken back to the present-day temple complex. (Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/The-goddess-of-dreams/articleshow/41813057.cms ) Sources claim the Zatra procession with drum sounds/shields stopped for rest at Velliapura Royal residence at Kadamba King Jayakeshi I Royal compound at Velim, before they proceeded to Assolna, the end point, via a place now known as 'bostoli suvaat.' Oral tradition has it that some Portuguese priests or St. Francis Xavier himself lived in an outhouse room in 1530s and because of this the procession route was diverted to another way and the room was called 'bostoli suvaat' and nobody used that room/place at the outer boundary of the village until villagers agreed to build a church there. When time came to name the church the Carambolim settlers in Velim wanted to name the church after St. John Baptist but Velim villagers objected and named the church as St. Francis Xavier. Any feedback on this will be appreciated. MD
