Chikhal Kalo

A joyful mud festival celebrating the infant playfulness of Lord Krishna through traditional village mud games.

For centuries the people of Marcel village have re-enacted how young Krishna and his cowherd friends played in the mud of Gokul.

Villagers gather in the temple courtyard, where monsoon rain turns the earth to slush. They rub coconut oil on their bodies, roll in the mud, and play traditional games such as chendu, a village football game.

A special puja of the Devaki-Krishna idol precedes the games. The gathering chants 'Hari Vithal' to the beat of drums, and when the mud games end, milk and sweets are shared as prasad.

Rolling in the sacred mud is believed to cure skin ailments and renew the ancient bond between people and the earth.

The festival is held only in Marcel, home to the unique Devaki-Krishna idol. The tradition survived intact through Portuguese rule in the deep inland villages and is now one of Goa's cultural hallmarks.

A mud festival in the temple yard at Marcel, on Dev Ashtami in the monsoon. Traditional games are played in knee-deep mud to shouts of Viva Krishna. It is nothing like the Goa on the postcards, and spectators do not stay clean either.