SHIRGAO, Goa, May 4: — A day after a stampede at the Sree Lairai Devi temple claimed six lives, hundreds of devotees continued to gather in Shirgao village on Sunday, undeterred by official appeals and police restrictions.
The stampede occurred early Saturday morning as thousands crowded the narrow approach lanes to the hilltop temple in North Goa for the annual “Homkhand” event, where worshippers walk barefoot over burning embers in devotion.
On Sunday, rituals resumed with the traditional ‘kaul’ procession, during which the deity is believed to visit local homes over four days. Despite the tragedy, the temple committee said it could not suspend the observance.
“The incident on Saturday was unfortunate. Lives were lost. But we can’t stop the rituals,” said Dinanath Gaonkar, president of the Shree Lairai Devi Temple Committee, speaking to PTI.
The committee had publicly urged devotees to stay away from Shirgao following the stampede. “We’ve requested people not to come, but many still do—on foot—out of deep faith,” Gaonkar said, noting that police had set up barricades in nearby Assanora village to block vehicle access.
Yet, the flow of pilgrims persisted. Many walked over two kilometers to reach the site, continuing age-old traditions. Stalls installed for the festival also remained in operation, despite the somber mood and official discouragement.
“You cannot stop people from attending the festival,” said one local resident. “Devi Lairai is a revered deity, with followers from across Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.”
The stampede has raised serious concerns about crowd management and infrastructure at the hilltop shrine. However, religious obligations and cultural continuity have so far outweighed calls for a complete halt to the proceedings.
