At Curtorim’s Handi Khuris, the experience is beyond God

The most notable attribute of the cross is its ability to bring together various communities in solidarity
The Handi Khuris in Maina is a place that allows good energy to flow.
The Handi Khuris in Maina is a place that allows good energy to flow.Photo: Augusto Rodrigues
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Every cross has a tale to tell and the Handi Khuris, or cross of the sluice gate, in Maina, Curtorim in Goa tells the story of the faith of local farmers and the belief of thousands of pilgrims who experience good energy.

Miracles are part of any devotion, and the more the belief in miracles professed, the greater the following. It is this that sees thousands of people from all over Goa and India join the devotion to the cross every year.

The Handi Khuris in Maina is a place that allows good energy to flow.
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Preparations for the feast of the Handi Khuris, which will be celebrated on August 19 this year, have already begun with the farmers sprucing the path to the cross and shamianas being erected.

The way to the cross, for many, starts a journey with God.
The way to the cross, for many, starts a journey with God.Photo: Augusto Rodrigues

“For me, just the walk to the cross is an experience with God. What I go through is difficult to explain because it is my relationship with God. And, there are many times that I fail, and the trip down here to Maina reinforces my belief in my relationship,” says thirty-nine-year-old Avila Fernandes.

On the day of the feast, there will be thousands of Avilas. Some will just come in thanksgiving and others hoping for happiness.

As they join in prayer, the camaraderie amongst people of all religions and goodness will be the focal point.

“The feast was first celebrated on September 5, but it was in 1997 that we started celebrating on August 20. Initially, it was the forty farmers who used to prepare dishes of pork, beef, fish, pumpkin and a sweet dish called atol and serve it to whoever attended,” remembers sixty-seven-year-old Joao Manuel Fernandes.

Farmer Pascoal Sequeira is one of those who thinks working with God by your side is always rewarding.
Farmer Pascoal Sequeira is one of those who thinks working with God by your side is always rewarding.Photo: Augusto Rodrigues
The Handi Khuris in Maina is a place that allows good energy to flow.
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“As time passed, people who returned to give thanks for their wishes being fulfilled, started offering food and soft drinks. From a few hundred from the village who would first come, we have lakhs attending the feast, and it keeps getting bigger,” thinks Joao.

“The number of people coming every year increases because word of miracles experienced by people coming here spreads fast. Whatever you wish at the cross, one gets,” is the belief of farmer Pascoal Sequeira.

“I was the eldest in a family of nine, and both my parents expired when I was twelve. I had to bring up my siblings. We all did it the hard way and that explains our happiness,” says Pascoal, whose smile shows signs of the reward of toil.

Garlands being prepared .
Garlands being prepared .Photo: Augusto Rodrigues
The Handi Khuris in Maina is a place that allows good energy to flow.
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“I stopped growing paddy some seasons back as cattle used to come and eat what was sown. It was an expensive affair. But, I think, I am going to start growing paddy from next year,” he says.

To many, the walk from the main road to Handi Khuris is a walk with one’s belief on the road of faith. The narrow road, shaded by coconut trees and an expanse of green gives Rafael the “freedom to think good and forget the bad”.

“During my visits here I experience a sense of well-being never felt before. I feel like I am walking with God, and I think the people of this village are lucky,” admits Rafael, who hails from Curtorim.

We are going to stop devotees from offering packed food, reveals Joao Manuel Fernandes.
We are going to stop devotees from offering packed food, reveals Joao Manuel Fernandes.Photo: Augusto Rodrigues

The Handi Khuris, or the cross on the sluice gate, is not just about prayer but about sharing. 

“We have people from all communities attending and bringing food to be shared by all. Only this time, we are not going to allow people to bring packed food because of fears of food poisoning,” discloses Joao.

Like many other places, the feast on August 19 in Maina will once again bear witness to Goa’s communal amity.

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