The 10th Chaturmasya Vrata of Paramapoojya Shreemad Vidyadheesh Teerth Shreepad Vader Swamiji commenced on August 5 at the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math in Canacona, drawing devotees from across the country for one of the most significant annual religious observances of the Gowda Saraswat Brahmin community.

The sacred ceremony was held at the Partagali Kendra Math, located on the banks of the Kushavati River, where the 24th Pontiff of the Math formally undertook the Chaturmasya Vrata through a series of traditional Vedic rituals. The day's programme included Ganapati Pooja, Mrittika Pooja, Vyasa Pooja, Sankalpa and other customary ceremonies marking the beginning of the four-month spiritual observance.

This year's Chaturmasya carries special significance as it marks the tenth time that His Holiness has observed the sacred vow and the fourth occasion it is being held at the Partagali Kendra Math. Over the years, Swamiji has observed Chaturmasya at several spiritual centres, including Hubballi, Badrinath, Kumta, Panvel, Bengaluru, Varanasi and Partagali.

The event also marks the first Chaturmasya to be held following the grand celebrations of the 550th anniversary of the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math held last year.

Thousands of devotees from Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and other parts of the country are expected to participate in the religious programmes and seek the blessings of Paramapoojya Swamiji during the Chaturmasya period.

Widely revered as the "Dakshina Ayodhya," the Partagali Kendra Math has a spiritual legacy spanning nearly 370 years. The Math is home to the shrines of Lord Shree Rama, Goddess Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, besides the sacred Guru Vrindavanas, a repository of Vedic scriptures, a Goshala, Adarshadham and the renovated Shree Rama Temple.

The Math has also gained national recognition for its 77-foot bronze statue of Lord Shree Ramachandra, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making it one of Goa's prominent spiritual and cultural landmarks.