Thousands of Dhonds, including holy men, women and children irrespective of age, who are devotees of goddess Lairai walked over the bed of burning coal during the traditional fire walking ritual on the occasion of the annual Lairai Yatra during the wee hours in Shirgao, 25 kms from Panaji. As per the traditional rule, all 'Dhonds' go vegetarian one month prior to the Yatra. Earlier the Yatra was dominated by male 'Dhonds' but scene changed drastically over the years as the number of female and children 'Dhonds' has gradually gone up and still increasing.