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Three Kings Feast in Goa: three boy kings and a hilltop chapel
Three boys crowned as the Magi, and a hilltop chapel waiting for their gifts
The Three Kings Feast, Festa dos Reis Magos, is Goa's celebration of the Epiphany on 6 January, the day that closes the Christmas season. Its best-known form is in Cansaulim in South Goa, where three boys from three villages ride on horseback to the Three Kings Chapel on Cuelim hill, founded in 1599, for a high Mass. Next date: 6 January 2027. Reis Magos in North Goa and Chandor keep the feast in their own way.
Fixed by the church calendar; the parishes announce their Mass and procession times locally.
The legend
In the Gospel of Matthew, wise men from the East see a star and follow it to pay homage to the newborn Jesus.
They bring gold, frankincense and myrrh, and go home by another way.
In 1599 the Three Kings Chapel was founded on Cuelim hill in Cansaulim.
Every 6 January three crowned boys climb to it, and afterwards they go home by different routes, like the Magi.
Customs
Three kings
The kings are boys aged 8 to 12 from three villages, Cansaulim, Arossim and Cuelim, in crowns and royal robes.
A royal retinue
Each king comes with parasol and flag bearers, a brass band and his fellow villagers.
Mass on the hill
The kings meet at the chapel for a high Mass, then go on to St Thomas Church in Cansaulim.
The gauncars' honour
The feast is organised by the vangodds of the gauncars of the three villages, in thanks for their help in building the early church.
Words of the festival
Epiphany
the feast of 6 January, in the West also called Three Kings Day
Reis Magos
Portuguese for the Three Wise Men; another place in Goa that keeps the feast
gauncars
the indigenous village community members of Goa
True or myth
✅ True. 6 January marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
❌ Myth. The kings are boys aged 8 to 12, one from each of the three villages.
✅ True. Father Gonçalo Carvalho founded it in 1599.
How the day runs in Cansaulim
The feast belongs to three neighbouring villages, Cansaulim, Arossim and Cuelim, which share the parish of St Thomas Church in Cansaulim. Each village sends one king. The boys, aged 8 to 12, set off on horseback in crowns and royal robes, each with his own procession of villagers and a brass band, and take different paths across the hill until they meet at the chapel on top. The high Mass there is the centre of the day; in the India GO base the peak is late morning at Cuelim.
After the Mass the kings come down and ride to St Thomas Church, stopping on the way for blessings and rest. After a ceremony at the church each goes home by a different route, as the Magi in the Gospel of Matthew returned "by another way". Goa Tourism describes the same scene from the road: three boys dressed as the Magi paraded down the hill on horseback.
The parishes announce Mass and procession times locally, so check them with the parish before the day.
Three places, three ways
Goa Tourism calls Reis Magos one of only three places in Goa that celebrate the Epiphany with processions and re-enactments; by Wikipedia's account, the other two are Cansaulim and Chandor.
Cansaulim and Cuelim hill, South Goa
The three boy kings, the hilltop Mass and the ride to St Thomas Church. Cansaulim is in southern Salcete, about 16 km from Margao.
Reis Magos, Verem, North Goa
At the Reis Magos church, built by Franciscan friars in 1555, three young men play the Magi and a procession leaves the church and goes round the village.
Chandor, South Goa
The third village with its own Three Kings procession, known also for its Portuguese-era mansions.
Why the gauncars keep the feast
Father Gonçalo Carvalho founded the chapel on Cuelim hill in 1599, and it is affiliated with St Thomas Church. The feast is organised by the vangodds (clans) of the gauncars, the original village community members of the three villages, in recognition of their help in building the early church, and each of the three villages sends its own king.
The date comes from the church calendar: 6 January is the Epiphany, in the West also called Three Kings Day, and it closes the twelve days of Christmas. The feast is the last big church day after Christmas in Goa and before Goa Carnival.
Watching the procession
The feast is free and open to everyone; it is a Mass and a parish procession first.
- Go in the morning — The kings ride and the hilltop Mass is held in the morning. Check the parish timings, which are announced locally.
- Make room for the horses — The boys ride through crowds on lanes and hill paths; stand to the side and keep children close.
- Dress for church — If you join the Mass at the chapel or at St Thomas Church, dress modestly and keep quiet during the service.
- Getting there — Dabolim airport is about 25 km from Margao, and Cansaulim is about 16 km from Margao.
FAQ
Is Three Kings Day always on 6 January?
In Goa, yes: the feast follows the church calendar and is held every year on 6 January, the Epiphany. The next date is 6 January 2027.
What is the Three Kings Feast in Goa?
The Goan celebration of the Epiphany, the feast of the Magi who, in the Gospel of Matthew, followed a star to the newborn Jesus. In Cansaulim three boys dressed as the kings ride to a hilltop chapel for Mass.
Where is the Three Kings Feast celebrated in Goa?
In Cansaulim (on Cuelim hill), in Chandor and in Reis Magos (Verem) in North Goa.
Who plays the three kings in Cansaulim?
Three boys aged 8 to 12, one each from Cansaulim, Arossim and Cuelim.
How old is the Three Kings Chapel?
It was founded in 1599 by Father Gonçalo Carvalho, so it is more than four hundred years old.
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.