FESTIVALS
Main Utsavs of the temple
Ashwin Shuddha Natipada to Navmi-
Navratri utsav
Ashwin Shuddha Dashimi -
Dasera
Ashwin Shuddha Ekadashi -
Kaul Prasad
During
Navratri for 10 days there are Kirtans, Aaratis and Makar-utsav programmes
Magh vadhya Dwadashi to falgun shuddha dwitiya. ie in the month of Feb/March a Maha shivratri utsav is celebrated. There is Palkhi utsav at night and thereafter entertainment programmes and dramas
THE MAIN FESTIVALS OF DEVASTHAN
CHAITRA
Sanvatsar Pratipada: Panchang Pujan, Dwadash Stoba Puja Ramnavmi Ramjanmotsava , initiated by late Shridhar Shenvi Juwarkar. On this day balak Rama is put in a cradle placed on chowk and after puja and offerings there the " Balak" is placed in the lap of Shree Ramnath Utsav Murti which is placed on ' Chowk;' to the right side (where H.H. Swamiji sits) The festival ends after puja there.
VAISHAKH
Akshaya Tritiya : Palakhi of Shree Ramnath Santarpan of late Hari Shenvi Murkundi. Lakshmi Narayan utsav and vasant puja of Shrimat Purnapradyna Tirth Swami. In shudha chaturthi Vasant puja and Shree Kamaksha puja of late Shrinivas Naik Burye. On Shudha Panchmai vasant puja and Shanteri utsav of Totekar. On shudha Chaturdashi vasantpuja and Narsinha Jayanti of Ramchandra Venkatesh Nayak of Rivona. On Amavasya day silver palkhi of Shree Ramnath by Shri R.M. Nayak.
ASHADH
On purnima day Samprokshan , Ashtottar shat kalasharchana and santarpana.
SHRAVAN
On every Monday, Shree Ramnath puja and palakhi. On both panchami days, Shree Shanteri puja and palakhi. On every Sunday, Kamaksha puja and palakhi on Amavasya.
BHADRAPAD
Navanna samarpana on Shuddha panchami day. On Shudha Chaturdashi day Anant Vrita of late Ramnath V. Kunkalienkar.
ASHWIN
From Shudha pratipada till Navami, Kamaksha Makhartosava.On Dusserah day Simollanghan palakhi; Palakhis of Shree Ramnath and Shree Kamaksha go up the hill for simollanghan. There is puja of Shami and apta trees. Then people give Apta leaves to one another. When the palakhis come down, idol of Shree Ramnath is placed in Vijayarath and that of Shree Kamaksha on Ambari. At night Shree Ramnath Makharotsava and on Ekadashi day Shree Shanteri Makharotsava.On purnima day , Kojagiri utsav, from Shudha Dwadashi to Kartik purnima Harijager for 34 days. On Vadya Chaturdashi day Deepawali and Dhanalakshi utsav of late Anant V.Keni and brothers.
KARTIKA
Tulsi Vivaha on shudda Dwadashi. On Chaturdashi day , Vaikaunth Chaturdashi utsav of and Vanabhojan of late Shri Madhav L. Malaye, At night Deepotsava.On Vadya Pratipada day Dashavatari Kala and on Dwitiya Gaulana Kala.
MARGASHIRSHA
Dhanurmas Annasantarpana : Naivedya to the deities before sunrise.
PAUSHA
Malini Purnima, Swariwadan etc
MAGHA
On both the panchami days Shree Shanteri puja and palakhi. Mahashivratri Utsav starts on Dwadashi day and continues till Falguna Dwitiya. During this festival the deities are places in different Vahanas for procession. On the day next to Shivratri, Shree Ramnath is taken in a palakhi near Talli and there he is placed in a special ratha. Then the Adpaikers who pick up the Ratha and move it up and down i.e they dance with it. They bring it up in the front of the temple and after dancing with it for sometime the Idols are taken in. The procession of the ratha again starts in the evening at 5.00 pm .After coconut owalni the idols are taken in. Then there is puja, Aarti , auction of fruits etc and distribution of 'patakas'. On dwadashi night there is Mangalacharana. Prayers are made to all the deities, starting with Lakshmi Narayan for safe and happy celebration of the whole utsav. Then on the stage the Sutradhar prays for the appearance of Gajanan. Vidushaka helps him in this.Then Gajanan appears and a Bhataji is called to perform his puja. After puja Shree Gajanan gives them " Ashiwarwad" and tells them to pray for Goddess Saraswati. They do this and Goddess Saraswati appears on a peacock. She also blesses them telling that they need not worry, the programe will be a great success.
Sangod
Thereafter every night there are drama performances by Mahajans only. On Shuddha Pratipada day there is Naukavihar Utsav of late Durgabai Ramnathkar. On Dwitiya day there is silver Shibikotsava of late Shri Vasudev Vithal Bichu. He got prepared a beautiful Silver palkhi for this particular Utsav and offered it to the devasthan alongwith a big golden gonda.
On all these days there is Annasantarpana offered by different Kullavis. On Mahashivratri day there is Annasantarpan by Satyvrata R. Pai of Bombay. On the next day i.e upon the day of rathotsav, Annasantarpana is by late Anant Vishwanath Keni & brothers of Panaji. On the Pratipada day it is by late Ramakrishna V.Bhandye and on Dwitiya day it is by late Shri Vasudev V.Bichu. If the festival is prolonged by one more day as it happens, sometimes, the responsibility of Santarpana is taken by any Mahajan spontaneously. For the past many years this responsibility was taken by late Shri Kashinath K.Pai Angle and then for sometime by his son late Shri Narayan K.Pai Angle and presently for the last some years his other sons Motilal and brothers perform this santarpana seva with great devotion.
FALGUNA
From Falgun Purnima to Vadya Shashthi, Shigmotsav is celebrated.
Besides these there are different sevas, Devakrityas every month performed by Kullavis and devotees.
SHIBIKA UTSAV
With the exception of "Chaturmasa days" there is a shibhikotsav of Shree Lakshmi Narayan on every Dashami at 8.30 pm with the exception of Navratra there is a palakhi of Shree Ramnath on every Monday and on every panchami, the palakhi of Shree Shanteri and on every amawasya there is a palakhi of Shree Kamaksha.
Palakhi is taken around the temple and during the procession there are eight halts at particular fixed places. At all these halts there is a recitation of Vaidic Ashtak and playing of Shahanai. After the completion of the round when the palakhi enters the sabhamandap, aarti is shown to the idol and a "coconut ovalani" is made and the palakhi enters the temple. Palakhi is kept there for a few minutes for namaskaras by the devotees. After that the Archak takes the idols inside the garbhagar keeping some " flower prasad " for the palakhi bearers. When the idol is placed in the original position in garbhagar, the devotees who had been standing on the chowk till then, will now take their seats and the aarti begins.
