Feast of the Three Kings

The feast of the three kings is one of the most popular and well known events of Goa. It is a local festival that is attended by the locals as well as tourists. The festival is locally known as the Holy Epiphany or the Festa dos Reis. Two of the main places in Goa where the festival is celebrated with a lot of pomp and festivity are the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount in Cansaulim and the Reis Magos church in Verem.

The festival is celebrated over a period of nine days. It starts 12 days after the end of Christmas. The final day of the festival, on January 6th is the most prominent day.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Cures
The chapel of Our Lady of the Mount is a holy site in Goa. The church is home to the beautiful statue of Madonna or Virgin Mary who is seen standing and holding infant Jesus Christ in one hand and a vase in the other hand. Also known as the Lady of Cures, Madonna is said to possess exceptional powers. She is known as the protector and is also said to hold miraculous powers to bless childless couples with children.

A hill located near the chapel is said to contain the footprints of an infant as well as a set of adult foot prints. It is said that these prints were formed when Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus rested here before continuing on their journey.

Every year, during the course of this festival, the statue of Virgin Mary is decorated with jewelry and worshipped by both Hindus and Christians alike.

Three Kings Ritual
On January 6th, three boys are chosen to enact the roles of three kings who are said to have brought gifts and presents for the infant Jesus. The three boys are chosen carefully and are required to belong to the age group ranging from 8 to 10 years.
The ritual starts when the three boys dressed in royal finery start their journey to the chapel on white steeds from different parts of the city. They finally meet together at the top of the hill and proceed to the chapel to offer their presents and wealth.