The Feast of Three Kings is celebrated to offer prayers to Lady of Mount. The idol of Lady of Mount is decorated with jewellary and prayers are offered seeking blessings from her.
The festival is celebrated on the Festa dos Reis or the Epiphany on January 6. The Feast of Three Kings is celebrated equally by the Hindus as well as by the Christians. The festival is an ode to the Lady of Mount, who is considered to be the protector of people. She is said to be provider of children to married couples and is said to fulfill wishes made at her chapel. The processions of the festival continues for 9 days and ends on Epiphany, 6th January. According to a legend a boulder on a nearby hill is clearly stamped with two baby footprints and those of an adult, together with a trough carved out of the rock which, marks the spot where the Virgin rested with the Infant while the horse that brought them quenched its thirst, before proceeding to Hill of Remedies where she chose to remain. However, some historians state that the site now occupied by the Chapel of Remedios was once the site of a Hindu temple. Perhaps that's the reason why a large number of Hindu devotees make the yearly pilgrimage to the Mount to worship the Madonna, bringing with them offerings of flowers, incense, and candles.
The end of this festival is done after 9 days of continous dance, music and partying. During these nine days, Hindu and Christian followers come the the chapel of the Our Lady of Mount and offer there prayers and seek blesing from her. On the last day, three small boys of 8 to 10 years of age are selected to enact Kings. These three kings drive from different paths and come to the chapel to offer there wealth and money to the Lady of Mount. The Kings arrive with a jolly crowd. After the rituals, an extensive fair also springs up covering the entire hilltop. One can buy anything from a meal to copper and brassware, furniture, clothes, toys, trinkets, sweetmeats, glass bangles and spices of all sorts.
The festival is celebrated on the Festa dos Reis or the Epiphany on January 6. The Feast of Three Kings is celebrated equally by the Hindus as well as by the Christians. The festival is an ode to the Lady of Mount, who is considered to be the protector of people. She is said to be provider of children to married couples and is said to fulfill wishes made at her chapel. The processions of the festival continues for 9 days and ends on Epiphany, 6th January. According to a legend a boulder on a nearby hill is clearly stamped with two baby footprints and those of an adult, together with a trough carved out of the rock which, marks the spot where the Virgin rested with the Infant while the horse that brought them quenched its thirst, before proceeding to Hill of Remedies where she chose to remain. However, some historians state that the site now occupied by the Chapel of Remedios was once the site of a Hindu temple. Perhaps that's the reason why a large number of Hindu devotees make the yearly pilgrimage to the Mount to worship the Madonna, bringing with them offerings of flowers, incense, and candles.
The end of this festival is done after 9 days of continous dance, music and partying. During these nine days, Hindu and Christian followers come the the chapel of the Our Lady of Mount and offer there prayers and seek blesing from her. On the last day, three small boys of 8 to 10 years of age are selected to enact Kings. These three kings drive from different paths and come to the chapel to offer there wealth and money to the Lady of Mount. The Kings arrive with a jolly crowd. After the rituals, an extensive fair also springs up covering the entire hilltop. One can buy anything from a meal to copper and brassware, furniture, clothes, toys, trinkets, sweetmeats, glass bangles and spices of all sorts.
