The Konkani tradition in which villagers vacate their homes for spirits

Think about an entire community locking all doors and windows, moving out of the village along with their pets, leaving no one behind for three days. This is what occurs in Gav Palan. It is an uncommon practice followed by people in Achara village, located in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. It is said that 10,000 people leave their villages temporarily to make sure that spirits can move around the village without any disturbance.

Gav Palan: When and where does this happen?

The practice is limited to a few villages in the district of Sindhudrug, named Achara, Chindar and Vaigani. It is held once every 3-4 years after an order is issued from the divine oracle in the temple. As soon as the date is set, everybody starts getting ready to move out. All families ensure that there is sufficient food, rice, and firewood to last 3 days. Everything alive is taken along; even cattle, goats, dogs and cats.

Before leaving, every family ensures that their house is locked up. They also put a mat that is woven out of either coconut or palm leaves at the entrance of their house. They then proceed to make camps at the fringes of the village on open ground and sloping hillsides which are locally referred to as malrana.

Why is the village dedicated to spirits?

According to the locals, the empty village is owned by bhutas and pishachas for those 3 days. Locals believe that humans should not be in the village when these spiritual entities occupy it. According to reports, if someone tried to go back to the village during these three days, he/she either passed away or became mentally disturbed for life.

The most common story revolves around an incident where one of the forefathers slew a demon-boar god who ruled over the demons in the region. Once the demons were deprived of their leader, they turned to the guardian god named Ravalnath seeking a place where they could reside. It is widely said that this god allowed them to stay in the village for three days in certain years.

Another myth involves the Shri Rameshwar Temple. The story goes that the god had told people to vacate the place so that it may be purified from any spirit presence before their return.

Returning home with proper permission

However, the villagers do not just come back after three days. On the fourth day, priests and the elders in the village go through another round of consulting the god using the oracle, called gaav bhar.

It decides if the return will be safe and peaceful. Only after receiving permission, everyone goes back, cleans their houses and resumes their normal lives. If not, then they have to stay out for one more day and ask again.

Is this ritual also related to epidemics?

Many historians claim that Gav Palan might have originated as a practical solution to epidemics like plague and cholera. The breakouts used to take place along the coast of Konkan during the 14th to 19th centuries. The clearing out of the entire village might have served as an effective method of breaking the cycle of infection.

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