Tourism
of Goa
Fairs
& Festivals ::
Christian
Festivals
Touxeachem
FestThe
magnificent Church of St Anne also known as the Santana Church locally is
the scene of the very unusual feast every year. The Church located at
Talaulim in Tiswadi taluka, is dedicated to St Anne and the feast is
celebrated on July 29.
Touxeachem Fest (in Konkani) literally
translates as the Cucumber Feast in English. Besides the huge number of
devotees from all around Goa, a large number of newly married couples is in
attendance.
The couples come to the Church to seek the blessings of
St Anne, who herself was blessed with a child after 40 years of barren life.
They buy cucumbers from local vendors at the feast and offer them at the
feet of St Ann and carry them home to eat.
At most feasts in Goa,
there are numerous stalls selling the traditional sweetmeats and other items
such as grams etc. At the feast of St Anne, the largest number of vendors
sell only cucumbers which are in high demand by the devotees.
Another
fascinating feature of this feast is the fairly large number of Hindu
devotees who come to celebrate the feast and pay their respects to St Anne.
Even while the mass is going on, there is a continuous line of Hindu
devotees waiting to touch the statue of St Anne.
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