Goa, April 10 -- Devotees poured into the village of Balli, to witness the ritual symbolizing penance called Shidiyo which was performed as part of the Shigmo celebrations in the state. In the courtyard of the village deity Shri Shantadurga Ballikarin, a 20-foot pole was erected in the center of the ground and attaching a 30-foot horizontal pole, locally known as laat, to it. Two Gades and five Lhann Gades were part of the festivities this year.

The laat is balanced and can hold a man at one end, with each of the two Gades taking turns. A Gada is tied face down to the laat. A group of people then hold a rope attached to the other end of the laat to ensure its balance as the laat is rotated five times, alternating between clockwise and co...