Sometimes we need a leader to
guide us, inspire us and direct us to the truth…A good leader prepares the
way for many more to take charge.
In 2017, a group of youngsters,
led by Rudresh Uttam Mhamal, a man with a mission, started the “Tree
of Hope Challenge”, an initiative to plant trees along the Mandrem
beach belt. With the help of his friends and NSS Volunteers, Rudresh Mhamal planted
fruit and flower saplings donated by the Goa Forest Department along the beach
line. His project received a huge response and within a few months, around 700
saplings were planted along the Mandrem belt.
A seaside village bustling with
tourists and infested with shacks, Mandrem, over the years, faced the brunt of
over-commercialisation and environment degradation. Rudresh Uttam Mhamal, a
young resident of Mandrem, North Goa, was deeply affected by the rapid
environment changes in his peaceful village. He plunged into action immediately
and formed a group of eco-warriors to help him with his plan. He roped in NSS
volunteers from Vidya Prabodhini College, Parvari, Goa, where he works as
Assistant Professor in Commerce and took to social media to inspire many more
volunteers. What started as a small tree-plantation initiative soon encouraged
these youngsters to spread environment awareness among their peers.
With the enormous success of his ‘Tree
of Hope Challenge’ in 2017, Rudresh Mhamal started an afforestation program
on the barren and windswept side of a hill in Mandrem. The hill, which faces
the Arabian Sea, is exposed to the ravages of the sun, making the area dry and
arid. Empowered with support from the Mandrem Panchayat, Rudresh, set out on
his gargantuan task on 5th June, 2017 on the World Environment Day. Several saplings were planted on the hill, in
addition to a banyan sapling planted on the top of the hill and named as ‘Tree
of Hope’ from which the initiative got its name. The efforts of Rudresh
and his student volunteers soon motivated their friends and family to
contribute their time and effort every evening and every Sunday morning. The most
difficult task, though, was to carry water up the steep and rugged hill every
day. But the group worked relentlessly
through the dry months of the year, fertilising, fencing and watering each
plant and also protecting them from cattle and miscreants. The result today is
a thriving green cover, still being managed by ‘Tree of Hope’
volunteers.
Kalpavruksh 2019
Rudresh Mhamal’s determination to
spread environment awareness soon adopted a creative shape. In 2019 he
organised a day-long eco-festival, ‘Kalpavruksh 2019’ which included
several curated activities and competitions to infuse eco-awareness. Photography,
drawing and short-film competitions saw the participation of several youngsters
from across Goa. The short-film competition was based on ‘Tree of Hope’ theme
which was one of the highlights of the festival. The participation of the
public gave a much needed impetus to the eco-campaign and since then there was
no looking back.
Young artists participating in Kalpavruksh 2019
The United Nations Organisation (UNO) identifies climate change as the most critical global issue that needs immediate attention. At a time like this, sustainable, community-led projects like the ‘Tree of Hope’ are of significant value. Rudresh dreams of starting similar drives in other parts of Goa. Vasant Narulkar, a committed student volunteer and a B.Com graduate from Vidya Prabodhini College, who has worked with Rudresh Mhamal right from the inception of the initiative says, “I started supporting the ‘Tree of Hope Challenge’ as part of college NSS activity. While working with Rudresh Sir, my friends and I have realised the enormity of environment degradation and its impact on the world today. The efforts and the hard work of Sir has motivated all of us to contribute for the ‘Tree of Hope’ initiative even during Sundays. I have graduated two years back but I will always be a part of this program.”
Three years since, the task is
still as enormous, but the dream has become a movement. These eco-warriors
regularly organise cleanliness drives, plant watering drives (Shivabhishek),
World Environment Day drives that involve public participation, thus
highlighting the fact that the eco-awareness and environment protection is the
only way to save the planet for our future generations.
Looking towards a brighter future – Kalpavruksh team at the Tree of Hope
Unperturbed with the challenges
ahead, Rudresh Mhamal conducts himself with aplomb and composure. This humble
and hardworking man has proved that if there is will to do something, there is
always a way to execute it. He has immense faith in the younger generation as
the harbingers of a safer and greener world.
“Trees don’t need us…we need
trees. It is very important to surround ourselves with lots of them,” he says,
as he gets busy making a fence for a young tree.
“The ones who erected the cross and the ones who sought to destroy it were guided by high moral and principles. Each man believed that what he was doing was for his religion, for his God. Perhaps both sides were right. Or maybe, both were wrong. This mighty confusion had been created by that demon that goes by the name of religion. It draws people from God, and breeds injustice and cruelty as a result of that power. God, Himself, was the author of this confusion, perhaps.”
(107, Age of Frenzy)
These lines are the essence of the novel ‘Age of Frenzy’ or ‘Yug Sanvar’ (2007) in Konkani written by the Goan author Mahabaleshwar Sail. The author, in his narrative, reconstructs the details of Goa Inquisition (1560-1820), the people of those times, prevailing customs and practices, their fears and veneration to their respective Gods and the inherent faults of a Hindu caste system. Goa Inquisition is a period which is seldom discussed by Goans. Mahabaleshwar Sail is one of the few writers who has brought Portuguese Goa into his novel and reconstructed the age that has witnessed violence, cruelty and abject misery. Vidya Pai, who has translated the novel into English has done a commendable job is carrying the ethos of the saga across cultural and literary barriers.
Mahabaleshwar Sail (pic courtesy: Wikipedia)
A small state which has witnessed colonial rule for over 450 years, Goa has experienced a religious and cultural transmutation that has today given a unique flavour to its language and its people. While the advent of the Portuguese to Goa in 1510 was initially for the purpose of trade, the opportunity to establish their religion in the new land soon led to religious conversions of the natives. As the Portuguese gained their foothold in Goa, a proposal was made to establish Inquisition, to deal with the newly converted Hindus, Muslims, Bene Israelis and New Christians who didn’t identify themselves with the new religion. The voracious religious zeal of the crusaders triggered a reign of terror that saw seizure of lands, confinement of the heathens in prisons, torture and death at the stake. Goa Inquisition has left an indelible mark on the religious, cultural, social and linguistic fabric of the Goans and its effect is visible even today. Historians like A. K. Priolkar, Felipe Nery Xavier etc. have documented the events after years of study. Their research has created a framework for Goan writers like Mahabaleshwar Sail to recreate and reminisce the times that are today distant and almost obsolete.
The author takes a stern stance identifying the inadequacies and inconsistencies of both the faiths. He blames the Hindu caste system for encouraging the colonists to look down up on the local faiths as being superstitious and blind. Age of Frenzy is a story steeped in controversial history and the author had done immense research on the subject to do justice to the gargantuan task that he had ahead of him.
The novel opens in 1510 in a fictitious village Adolshi when the Portuguese first put their foot in Goa. The reader is taken through the Goan landscape, the people and their traditions, religious customs and the caste hierarchy that is strictly followed in those times. As the novel opens, we see a young man, eighteen to twenty years of age, enter the village, tired and hungry and searching for his aunt. He identifies himself as Ganaba, Lakhu Naik’s son from Divade village. He breaks down and sobs in front of the villagers and tells them that he is driven out of his village for helping the white soldiers with directions to wherever they wanted to go and accepting bread and soaked fruit they have offered him in return. He wails that his own parents have expelled him from home and the village, blaming him that since he has eaten meat and bread that the ‘white devils’ have offered him, he has become impure and now belonged to the other faith. They threw stones at him and drove him out of the village. He has been to several villages but no one has taken him. But unfortunately the people of Adolshi prove to be just the same and they too drive him out of their village. With no home to go to, Ganaba commits suicide by drowning in the village tank. The incident perturbs the villagers, not for ill-treating a young man into committing suicide but for letting him ‘pollute’ the water by drowning himself. They worry that during the next temple festival, the Lord cannot be given a sacred bath in the village tank. The novel brings out several incidents like these where the callousness and insensitivity of the natives is highlighted especially at a time when the land is occupied by a foreigner and there was an imminent threat to their lives. A Hindu caste hierarchy which already had divisions, further divided because of the blind customs and superstitions related to food habits and occupation. No one is exempted from this discrimination and families and friends were heartlessly and callously expelled from the community. This fact didn’t go unnoticed by the oppressor and they exploited it to their advantage.
“You are the ones who drive people to our faith. If someone eats something we offer, you disown him. He is cast out of his home, he can no longer practise your religion so he comes to us.” (12, Age of Frenzy)
Thus Sukhdo Nayak became Salvodor Dias, Molu Nayak was renamed Manuel Dias and his wife Gopika now was called Isabel, Ramkushta Nayak was now Pedro Dias and his wife Parvati was named Fatima(89). If there were orphans in the community, they were converted immediately and given new names too. The new converts were given four cruzados, lands and protection under the Portuguese empire. During the conversions in the colonial Goa, the newly converted upper caste Hindus retained their Bammon and Chaddors status, introducing caste system into Christianity.
As the novel progresses, the conflict of cultures, customs and religions increase with the natives resisting the oppressors. Soon, inquisition was established and several converts and non-converts were either imprisoned, or burnt at stake. Gripped with fear, anger, helplessness, and borne with an unpredictable future, the natives were forced to either succumb to the colonist or uproot themselves to escape to a new land carrying their few belongings and their village idols.
The fertility and abundance of natural resources in the Konkan coast, has, since the ancient times, established a harmonious man – nature relationship. The communidade (in Portuguese) or gaonkari system of village administration which makes each village an independent unit with its own area of land, makes a Goan feel an inseparable relationship with his village and the village deity. Even today, a Goan anywhere in the world has a deep sense of belongingness to his own village. Hence, when the conversions and later Inquisition was established, the lives of the natives were thrown off balance and their loyalty to their land and Gods was shaken.
The novel has multiple number of characters and each of the stories entwining these characters are, in the larger picture, individual stories. The author, himself born in agrarian family, describes the folk lore, agricultural practices and the psyche of the people whose lives depended on land that they inherited from their ancestors. Of the multitude of characters that he created, the best portraiture probably was that of Padre Simao Peres, a priest who arrived in Goa on the orders of the Pope. He was disliked by the Viceroy and the clerics who were appointed by the King of Portugal, who were impatient and hasty in carrying on their religious orders and convert as many people as possible. His character is a foil to the cruel promoters of Inquisition whose barbaric acts towards the natives pains Padre Simao Peres. Though he was sent to Goa for religious conversions, his approach was that of piety and he believed in converting the natives through love. He is an epitome of empathy and kindness and is symbolic of Jesus Christ. He carries the true Christian spirit and tries to spread the words of Jesus Christ and thus gains the confidence of the villagers rather than brutally forcing them to adopt the foreign faith. Unfortunately, as Peres embarks on a religious mission, the viceroy gets him arrested for going against inquisition and imposes a rigorous imprisonment. Just as Jesus was crucified, Simao Peres was finally burned at stake.
Sail takes a firm stance as he narrates the harrowing tale of Inquisition. In several interviews and discussions, he was very emphatic in his opinions about God and religion.
“I believe that there are two sides to any conflict, and no one side can be totally right. I believe in God but not in any organised religion; by confining God within the framework of organised religion we breed intolerance of other faiths. So, my God, who is present in the whole universe, does not need temples or rituals or priests.”
The tenets of every religion advocate love, empathy, honesty, humility and trust. But inquisition is a glaring example of what greed and fanaticism can do to humanity. Sail’s narrative subtly seems to draw our attention to the contemporary religious politics of the world. Today we have crossed several scientific and intellectual boundaries but it is a sad irony that we have not been able to overcome our mindless adulation for our religion. As Karl Marx quotes,
“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”
Mandrem, to a lot of tourists and unfortunately to the younger generation of Goans, is synonymous with sun, sand, beaches and shacks. Located in the Pernem taluka, between the two popular tourist places of Morjim and Arambol, Mandrem is an idyllic coastal village, when ‘Googled’, will only throw up names of shacks and restaurants that the tourists flock to Goa for. But on a Sunday morning, I have a different purpose to visit this beautiful village…to meet a man whose family has been making idols of Lord Ganesha for the last 60 years.
Every year, in the month of May, Praveen Murari Mhamal and his family switch gears to a different routine. During the months leading to Ganesh Chaturthi, Sanjay, along with his family and with the help of a few local workers, chalks out his plan for the season. The routine demands 15 hours of labour every day which includes procuring the right amount and quality of clay, deciding the theme and style of each individual idol, making individual body parts using moulds, carving out the required shapes and surface texture, giving the idols ample time to dry before finally applying the first coat of paint.
Faith and devotion has many forms (Pic Courtesy: Rudresh Mhamal)
Started by Praveen’s father, Murari Ganesh Mhamal in early 1950s, ‘Susheela Arts’ has been catering to the demand of idols during the season since then. Every year idol-makers across the state start their work by the beginning of June with the advent of the first rains. The work comes with a time limit as the festival is celebrated in the months of August/September depending on the Hindu calendar. The states of Goa and Maharashtra celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi festival with pomp and in Goa alone, around 500 artisans across the state make and sell the idols. Praveen laments that procuring clay has become difficult now. Sometimes idols are also made with lagddo (clay) mixed with papier mache and a binding glue. In the earlier times clay used to be taken from agricultural land and farmers in the villages would request the artisans to take clay from their land. It was a sustainable practice, encouraging rotation and tilling of the earth, making it richer and more fertile. Today, it has become difficult to get clay because of growing commercial activities in the area or building of residential complexes and whatever is left is polluted with construction debris. Clay from Mandrem is by far the best in Goa and is in great demand as it has the right consistency and texture to make idols. Black clay, which is available easily in other parts (Warkhand v illage in Pedne Taluka) is too fine to use and leaves fine lines and cracks when it starts drying. But the red clay which is used in Mandrem has natural mixture of fine gravel, which is perfect to work as it dries faster and thus can be painted sooner too. Earlier, natural colours were used which were prepared at home using colours with resin used from local trees especially cashew. Now-a-days, distemper is used to paint the idols as natural colours are difficult to procure.
In the recent times, in spite of the ban on the use of Plaster of Paris (PoP), many idol makers are still using the same. PoP idols are lighter than the clay variety as they are cheaper and easier to make. Says Praveen, “PoP idols can be made with one single mould. They dry faster and hence can be painted also faster. But the clay idols are made using different moulds for different parts. Each of these have to be made separately and then put together as one single idol, which is time consuming.” Despite the laborious work, there are still artisans like Praveen who believe in promoting and preserving this skill.
Every year, Praveen makes around 250 idols and takes almost 2 ½ to 3 months to complete the work. Each idol is given exclusive attention and detailing is done with absolute care. After each part is carefully given shape with the mould, the artist uses two brushes – hard and soft – to give the surface texture and smoothness. Traditionally the bristles of the hard brush were made using the thick hairs from the neck of a wild boar and the wooden handle from soft wood of a pine tree. Praveen uses the same methods that he learnt from his father and makes the brushes with his own hands. Though a time-consuming affair, Praveen’s passion and dedication towards his work prompts him to continue with the conventional methods. There are very few artisans who use traditional methods to make idols in Goa because of lack of any financial benefit and long hours of labour.
It is a custom in Goa to procure idols from the same artisan who the family has been buying from for many generations. Hence whatever the price or dakshina (offering or gift) that the family has been giving the artisan for generations, has not increased over the years. Many continue to offer the same paltry amount and artisans don’t get any financial gain. Many times, a ‘dakshina’ of betel leaves, betel nuts and coconut is offered to the artisan in exchange for the idol, as is the family tradition. Hence some idol makers are either moving to other towns during the season so they can sell the idols for a higher price, or are closing their business.
Praveen at work (Pic courtesy: My friend Rudresh Mhamal
“For me each idol is unique and special. I don’t neglect or overlook any detail. I try to create a perfect idol of Lord Ganesha to depict the Lord himself sitting in front of me because, for the family who buys from us, it is the idol they are going to worship,” says Praveen with a smile.
The subsidy that is announced by the Goa government, is not sufficient at all and doesn’t cover the expenses. Also the subsidy comes very late every year and the artisans don’t get any advantage from it. This state of affairs is encouraging import of idols from other states which are commercially done using environmentally hazardous materials. But unfortunately, neither the government nor the general public worry about water pollution when the idols are immersed. It is a sad sight a few days later, idols washed ashore totally intact and in a state of neglect.
Along with Ganesha idols, Praveen also makes idols for temple festivals. Praveen and his brother Sanjay Mhamal make thematic backdrops for stage performances during festivals like Mahashivratri, Diwali and Durga Puja and other occasions on order. He takes us for a tour around his workshop and shows us the painted backdrops that he has made for a school event in Mandrem recently. “Such work has come down drastically and we don’t earn much with this occupation anymore. So we cater to other stage requirements like complete sound system, stage decoration, furniture etc for events.” Praveen Mhamal supplies costumes for the historical and religious plays staged in schools, temples and other events.
Praveen is happy that he is able to preserve his family occupation as well as the traditional art that he has inherited from his father. His children who are still too young to decide their career, help him with kneading the clay or painting the idols during the busier months.
Traditional occupations the world over are slowly getting obliterated, some because of the changing lifestyle but many because of lack of resources and sufficient support and aid from society and government. While lifestyle changes are normal and natural to a certain extent, those which encourage sustainable growth development should be preserved for the posterity.
Santo gets ready for yet another
hot day under the scorching April sun. His day starts at 6:00 am and undaunted
by the long hours in front of him, he surveys the pans and walks the length and
breadth of the chequered salt beds. His lean, dark body exposes his years of
labour under the sun. His work gathers momentum as the day advances and the
heat intensifies. But he knows that these are the conditions that are
appropriate for the work ahead and he barely complains. With naked feet and a ‘foyem’ (the long wooden stick used to
draw out the salt from the pan) in his hand, he moves from bed to bed raking up
the crystals that are ready for harvesting. He makes small heaps on the intersections
of the bed for the salt to dry. Once done with this, he moves to the next bed and
continues the same.
Harsh realities
For Santo and his family, Goa is
a second home as he comes from Belgaum, Karnataka every year in the month of
October and sets up his makeshift home to live here for a few months. Right
from the preparation of the beds and rebuilding of the bunds in the month of
November, to harvesting the salt during February-May, the family toils on the
land, exposed to the ravages of nature. The lands which are submerged in water
during monsoon every year, come alive from November-May and creates an
opportunity for people like Santo to make a little money before they go back to
their villages to work as field hands for the rest of the year.
Santo making his regular checks of the bunds (April, 2019)
It has become highly difficult to
find a skilled labourer in Goa as the younger generation is reluctant to learn
the trade for want of more lucrative options. Added to that is the intensive
labour involved and the declining demand for the unrefined salt that is an
intimidating factor for the youth. Hence, out of 36 villages which produced
salt in Goa earlier, only a handful of them are still functional to keep the
occupation alive with the produce barely catering to the domestic market.
Ribandar Saltpans (May 2020)
Michael, another mittkār from Batim, Goa, laments that his sons are least interested in the work he has learnt from his father at the age of 11. His sons don’t share their father’s passion as this would mean 10-12 hours of work every day under the sun. At 65, Michael works through the day not just to use his ancestral lands and continue this traditional occupation, but because this is the only work he has learnt. “I dropped out school after my 7th std and learnt the work from my father. Since then I have been working in these fields”, he said, with surprisingly good English for an ‘uneducated’ man. Michael is one of the few Goans who is still trying to hold on to his lands. During the monsoon days, he cultivates his land and grows traditional rice varieties that are grown is saline lands like Kohrgut, Assgo, Khochro etc.
Micheal from Batim, Goa (May 2019)
Khazan lands
Traditionally salt was made by
the evaporation of sea water or by extracting salt from the salt mines. Local
biodiversity and suitable geographical and climactic conditions are
pre-requisites for the building of salt pans. Solar extraction needs saline
water supply that is regulated using sluice gates built in two different
places. The Ribandar salt pan, for example, gets its supply of water from the
Mandovi River depending on the need and the movement of the tide. The khazan on the other side of the
Ponte Conde de Linhares (the causeway connecting Panjim to Ribandar) gets
filled up which then is allowed, when necessary, through the second sluice
gate, to enter the beds provided for evaporation and crystallizing of salt. The
salt thus extracted has essential minerals that disappear in industrially
refined salt. Khazans are waterlogged
reclaimed lands that are used for agriculture, fishing and salt-making.
Sluice gate allows water to seep in from Mandovi river during high tide
A visit to these places would expose the stark truths of the
disappearing khazans
from the Goan landscape, environmental pollution, shrinking of the mangrove
cover all across Goa due to developmental activities and finally the general
tendency of people who are moving away from healthier and indigenous food and
culture for a more dangerous modern industrially and commercially made produce.
Many of these lands are also being used by many for agriculture and
pisciculture, which, many believe, is commercially more viable. Goa has many
such khazans
which are habitats for crabs, shrimp, mud skippers and also migratory birds.
Hence destruction or abandoning of saltpans also affects the biodiversity of
these hotspots or vice versa.
Pickling and
more
Salt is not just used to enhance
taste of food; its use as a preservative has been discovered thousands of years
back. Many families in Goa still use the unrefined sea salt for curing their
meats and making pickles. Preservation and drying of fish is another very
important activity for which traditional salt is essential. Today, salt is
being fortified with iodine and sometimes iron as deficiency of any one of
these leads to serious illnesses. Additives are also used to make it
free-flowing according to the dietary standards and Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) regulations in each country. The Goan sea salt has a
slight brownish tinge which comes because of the essential minerals and not
because of any impurities. It has a distinct taste that gives food a burst of
flavour. There are many families I know who use only the local sea salt for
their daily food preparation.
Joaquim, Santo’s employer, leases out the land to the family every
year and is happy with the produce that he gets. He does brisk business selling
the salt to the local traders, as time is limited with the fast approaching
monsoons that hit Goa by the end of May or beginning of June every year. The
entire quantity of salt produced is not just for human consumption. The batch
that is harvested initially is dirty and is hence used as a fertiliser for the
coconut plantations that thrive in saline conditions. The salt produced
subsequently is used for human consumption, explains Joaquim. He has good
domestic market for both the varieties.
Joaquim, optimistic about the future (April, 2019)
Goa being coastal area has reaped the benefits of salt-making and this occupation has been in practice for the last 1500 years. Saltpans, which are built in khazans, have helped the Goan mittkar (mīt is salt in Konkani) yield good amounts of salt enough for export in the earlier times. Like any other traditional occupation, salt making also is facing the modern challenges from the lack of skilled labour, mindless commercialization, lure of ‘better’ opportunities and ‘lucrative’ jobs, lack of government support, and of course declining demand for the product. Though some of the traditional skills and occupations die a natural death like pottery, some are only getting extinct for lack of suitable support from society and government agencies.
Economic
Recession 2020
A visit to the pans is a ritual for me every year either to pick up a few bags of salt for my domestic use, or just to walk around watching the mittkārs work on the salt fields. This year, as the lockdown eased a little, I visited the salt pans in Ribandar, hoping that situation is not as bad as elsewhere. To my pleasant surprise, along with Santo, there were a few more people working on the salt fields, oblivious to the pandemic scare that has gripped the world. I was elated to know that salt business this year has not been drastically affected. I could not meet Joaquim but a chat with a worker (he was reluctant to reveal his name) who has returned from the field for a brief rest, told us that business is as usual and that the pandemic has not really affected the flow of their regular customers. Luckily, this is a time-bound occupation, and a commodity that is entwined with Goan traditional calendar. Hence the season closed on a positive note for the mittkārs of Goa.
Summer 2020 in Goa has changed many things in many ways. As the world woke up to the possibilities of an unpredictable future, in several ways, Goa too woke up to shocking realities – of recession, unemployment and a bleak future. It is heart-warming to see that many who moved away from traditional occupations, are coming back to till their lands to become self-sufficient. It is a sign of prosperity but time will tell whether this change is impulsive or permanent. I thought of Michael, whose sons were earlier reluctant to become mittkars or farmers and hoped that they have decided, after all, to assist their father in his work and preserve their precious lands.
Ribandar Saltpan (May, 2020)
The history of salt recounts the history of human civilization. Its importance is not only as a seasoning ingredient but also as an important additive in several medicines. History states that wars have been waged, slaves have been exchanged, routes were laid, ceremonies were held and cities were named around the importance of salt to the humanity.
For Santo and Joaquim and their ilk, yesterday is already gone and tomorrow is yet to come but today is already here…and that is what matters the most.
Goa is endowed with natural waterways that are navigable throughout the year. A lot of commercial activities as well as enterprising travel and tourism activities take place using the vast network of waterways, making Goa well-connected. Crisscrossing this tiny state are the major rivers like Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Terekhol and Chapora that flow past the remotest villages and islands of the state thus easing the travel time of many people. Government and private run cruises for tourists and floating Casinos fill the Panjim coastline giving a boost to the tourism development in the state.
Identifying the need to tap the waterways, ferry services were established during the pre-liberation times which are still very popular and are essential commuting service in the state. Taken care of by River Navigation Department (RND), Government of Goa, there are 19 ferry crossings across Goa and catering to people as well as vehicles which are ferried across the river at the same time. Services in some places start from 5:00 am and end as late as 2:00 am in some places. According to the River Navigation Department, around 2.5 lakh commuters and 18,000 vehicles use ferry services across Goa.
Living in Panjim, some of our Sundays go into exploring the island of Divar which is connected only by a ferry. Of the many things that excite us during our expeditions is the ferry crossing. There are two terminals to go to Divar – one from Ribandar and the other from Old Goa. Both offer quick and very prompt service and the entire crossing lasts for not more than 5 minutes. Every ferry has a ticket collector and a driver employed by the Government of Goa. While cars are ticketed for as low as Rs 7-10, it is free for people who use the service. Manoj, a ticket collector on one of the ferries smiles when I ask him about the ticket price. “It is a government service. Fuel and salaries are borne by government.”
Many islands like Charao and Divar are only connected via waterways and a large number of residents of these islands commute every day using these shuttles. Generations of families have lived on these islands and ferry crossing has been part of their lifestyle. While many, especially the younger generation, find it inconvenient to depend on these shuttle services for obvious reasons, there are several who are resisting the construction of bridges across the rivers. For a large number of people, it is the fear of the rapid commercialization that Goa has been experiencing for the last couple of decades with the ‘intrusion’ of ‘the outsider’ (bhaile in Konkani). Anthony, a resident of Divar is torn between the idea of better transportation facilities and preserving the resources of the island. “Our families have been living here for generations. Sometimes when there are delays in the morning on the way to work because of crowded ferries or a breakdown of the ferry, our day is disrupted. That’s when I feel the need for a bridge,” he says. Many like him prefer a quiet and serene rural environment far from the temptation of the hustle and bustle of a commercialized city. Some ferry crossings like the one between Kerim-Tiracol and Panaji-Betim also have bridges but many still prefer a ferry to save fuel and time.
With all its temporary hitches and snags, a ferry ride is still one of the most romantic aspects of a Goan lifestyle. Whether you are a tourist or a local resident, enjoy some lazy moments on a ferry boat for that unique Goan experience.
If you are a traveller who loves learning about people and the cultural heritage of the places you go, then visiting a marketplace is a great way to begin your journey. This time when you are in Goa, add to your list of things to do, a visit to Mapusa Friday Market which is probably the only traditional market place in Goa.
No one knows when exactly Mapusa market had become popular exclusively for its Friday market, but this busy town has always been an important market place in North Goa. The Mapusa Municipal market area, located right next to the Mapusa bus stand is very conveniently located and could be one of the reasons for its thriving trade and commerce. This place especially comes alive every Friday with vendors and farmers selling their home-grown produce in their makeshift shops. The place throngs with the local residents and people from the nearby towns who come to buy and stock local produce for economical rates.
I never miss going at least a couple of times to the Friday market during the summer months. It is a treat to one’s epicurean eye, the display of home grown vegetables, fruits, pulses, fresh and dried fish and home ware such as earthen pots and vessels, locally made iron pots and pans and domestic tools, locally woven coir ropes and mats, brooms made with coconut leaf stalks etc. March to May, the market is filled with raw mangoes and sacks of red chillies and other necessary condiments required for pickle-making. Goa observes annual fishing ban during the monsoon months of June-August as it is the spawning time for fish and also is risky to sail on choppy seas. Hence people buy and store dried fish to last the season. Woven bunches of shallots, chillies, seedless tamarind, dried and deseeded kokum fruit, strings of the spiced and marinated Goan pork sausages called Chouriҫo and certain condiments used in the local cuisine are bought in large quantities by many Goans as the wet months don’t offer good produce.
Rosy, a woman from Pernem who has a permanent shop in the market that sells earthen ware, is happy that even during summer she has good business with people coming to buy earthen. In spite of having a refrigerator at home, many prefer cool water stored in these earthen pots especially during the hot days of April and May. Along with these, she also sells many other earthen containers and cookware that the Goans use to prepare food. Kashinath, another vendor who comes every Friday to sell his coir ropes and coconuts, seems happy with his temporary space for the day. He makes and sells coir ropes of different thickness and is one of the few in the area to have such a variety. Comfortably seated and protected by his huge umbrella on that sunny morning, Kashinath proudly explains his routine. “I make all these ropes at home and sell them usually from home. On Friday, I come here to make a little extra money as I make brisk business here. When I am busy, my wife or mother take my place.”
Besides the local products, the market is filled with shops that sell inexpensive clothes, colorfully embroidered bedspreads and quilts, steel kitchen ware, kitchen and garden tools etc sold by sellers who come from other states. Bargain smartly to get good deals for some of these items.
In spite of the continuous flow of crowd and the swift and busy trade that takes place throughout the week and especially on a Friday, the market is kept clean by the Mapusa Municipality. Traffic is a little haphazard on a Friday but there are paid parking lots managed by the municipality personnel who can assist you with a parking slot. Most of the local vendors understand and speak basic English and help you make your purchases patiently. On a hot and humid day, be sure to wear comfortable cotton clothes and a hat. Visit the market early so you can avoid both the milling crowd as well as the heat of the day. But whatever the time of your visit, the market is sure to leave a few worthwhile memories to carry back.
If you take a turn into the lanes behind the Se Cathedral, Old Goa, you come to one of the most unique churches of Goa, the St. Cajetan Church and convent. Housed on a spacious land, surrounded by huge, old trees, and landscaped gardens, the church stands royally, as if looking heavenwards. Also called Velha Goa, Old Goa was the earlier capital of Goa during the Portuguese rule before it was shifted to Panjim (‘Velha’ in Portuguese means ‘old’). Though constructed by the Bijapur Sultanate which ruled Goa before the arrival of the Portuguese, it later became the seat of Roman Catholic Church of the East during the time of Portuguese rule. Hence it houses many churches and chapels, the most famous of them being Se Cathedral and Basilica of Bom Jesus.
Saint Cajetan was an Italian priest, a religious reformer and the co-founder of the Theatines Order of the Christian Faith. Recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church, his feast day is celebrated on 7th August every year. It is believed that during the Portuguese regime in Goa, three Italian priests, on the command of the Pope, arrived to spread Christianity in 1639 and planned to build a hospital. Their work was interrupted by the Portuguese Viceroy Felipe Mascarenhas, but the priests eventually sought permission from the then king of Portugal, Dom Joāo IV. After building the hospital in 1955 they set up a church and a convent close to it. The church hence is supposed to have been modelled on St. Peter’s Basilica of Vatican City by the Italian architects Carlo Ferrarini and Francesco Maria Milazzo. Although the church is originally dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence, it was later named after St. Cajetan, who was a contemporary of St. Francis Xavier. The main altar is dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence and the largest altar on the right side is of St. Cajetan.
On the same grounds, as you enter the gate, on your left side, are the remains of the palace of Yusuf Adil Shah, with the main arch still standing erect. The palace was constructed just before the Portuguese took over Goa from the Muslim ruler who was ruling Goa and Bijapur in the present day Karnataka. It was supposed to have been destroyed around 1820 and the only surviving remnants are the arch and structural traces of the laterite walls around.
Today, perhaps St. Cajetan Church is the only domed church in Goa. With minimum number of tourists visiting it, the premises of the church exudes a peaceful environment and tourists as well as pilgrims enjoy a quiet moment of prayer and meditation in front of the altar.
As you drive through the fishing villages of Betim and Verem off the city of Panaji, the winding and narrow streets suddenly bring you to the Mandovi river front. Gradually the view of the whitewashed Reis Magos church comes into view with the laterite stone walls of the fort just adjacent to the church. Reis Magos Fort in Reis Magos village, North Goa is one of the most beautifully restored monuments in the recent times. An abandoned sub-jail till 1993, it was finally taken notice by the Goa Government and was taken over for renovation in 2007. It was later opened for public in 2012 as a cultural and heritage monument. It is now listed under Goa Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains.
Goa was a Portuguese colony for around 450 years and was liberated on December 19th, 1961. The fort was built as the first line of defence by the Portuguese in the year 1540. It was constructed at a strategic point to prevent the Dutch from entering the waters of the Mandovi and thence to Old Goa or Ela, once the capital city of Goa. Several changes were made to the original structure in 1595 and again in 1707 to strengthen it further. Two more forts were built later in Aguada and Cabo in order to fortify their hold in Goa during the Maratha invasions. Eventually the Portuguese shifted their capital from Old Goa to Panaji and the fort was only used sometimes as a jail or to lodge soldiers in times of need. During the Goa liberation, some of the freedom fighters were jailed in the fort and later the fort continued to be as a sub-jail till 1993. Eventually in 2007 Goa Government decided to restore it and it was opened to public as a cultural and heritage monument.
The fort stands tall today, keeping within it the stories of the people it had protected, the times it had witnessed and the wars it had fought. Reis Magos fort also houses the Mario Miranda Gallery, a Restoration hall and a Freedom Movement Museum. The most impressive aspect of my visit to the fort a few years back and again last month, was the well-kept and managed premises. You don’t see a sign of litter anywhere and this adds to the charming experience. It is now frequently visited by tourists, art enthusiasts, students and others who come here to enjoy the serenity and beauty of the place.
The best time to visit the fort is in the morning before it is too sunny. The registration counter at the entrance provides water and beverages but once inside the fort, there is no restaurant. Make sure you wear light cottons to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the cool breeze of the Arabian Sea. The fort is open from 9:30 – 5:00 every day except on Mondays.
The fort, made of laterite, overlooks the Mandovi river and it offers a fantastic view of the river and the sea. Many of the ancient trees are saved during the restoration and they add an aura to the fort structure. Reis Magos Church, said to be the oldest church in Goa, stands next to the fort with its white-washed façade. The fort and the church make the small village of Reis Magos, a must-visit place in Goa.
He is a frequent visitor to the residential areas of cities and towns of India, seen with his small machine hooked on his shoulder, walking the length and breadth of the Indian roads. He parks himself in a convenient place for people to notice him and starts his machine running his knife along the razor sharp edges of the circular blade. The piercing metallic sound is a call to people in the neighbourhood that the ‘sharpener of knives’ is here.
I was surprised to see him this morning in our secluded and quiet colony nestled on the top of a hill. He was there just outside the gate, waiting for a householder to see him and request his services. When I asked him how he managed to walk all the way up the hill with his heavy machine, he said with a very grave, unsmiling face, “Paise keliye karna padta hai”(I have to do it to earn money), in broken Hindi. His reticent disposition did not put me off and I bombarded him with my curious questions about his life and work. A few more minutes and I learned that he hailed from Andhra Pradesh and was here in Goa for a few months every year. When he came to know that I spoke Telugu too, his face broke into a smile, and he looked suddenly relaxed as I continued to chat with him.
A middle-class Indian is usually very thrifty and hesitates to discard anything without considering its value. Knives, scissors, other domestic tools are all reused as long as they can be utilized in some way. Kitchen knives and scissors that become blunt after many years of use are stored away for the day when a knife sharpener man visits their locality. It is a common sight in India, people bringing out a bunch of blunt, rusted knives of different sizes and shapes, and getting them sharpened again. There is a joy in being able to reuse an instrument or a tool without unnecessarily spending a couple of hundreds on it.
Rangayya comes to Goa every year in the months of February-March just before ‘Gudi Padwa’, new year celebrated by Goan Hindus. He stays on till August-September and leaves back to his village Mārkapuram, Andhra Pradesh after ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ (the Hindu festival worshipping Lord Ganesha, the elephant God). He comes here leaving his family behind in his village and goes around Panjim, Merces, Ribandar and sometimes as far as Calangute, Baga, Siolim etc in North Goa for work. He travels by the local buses, sometimes requesting the bus driver to keep his machine on top of the bus if the bus is too crowded. Rangayya claims that he makes enough money sharpening knives all day. He charges anywhere between 30-50 rupees depending on the size of the knives and their condition.
He seems be happy living the life of a nomad for a few months every year. Back in his village, he finds work on the fields as a field hand or does miscellaneous jobs around the village.
My neighbour came out just then with a bunch of blunt knives and an adoli (a traditional Goan vegetable cutter and coconut scraper). A few minutes of haggling, they settled for an amount that they both were contented with and he started his work. With the piercing metallic sound deterring us from making any more conversation, I looked on quietly, watching him sharpen each knife with dexterity.
“Oh wow you look so beautiful!! Are you a movie actress?”
The voice woke me from my languor and I saw in front of me a 17 year-old- old girl, unloading her sacks of clothes and a box of jewellery and settling down on the sand, making herself comfortable. I was enjoying a chilled mojito on a beach in North Goa soaking in the lovely expanse of beautiful deep blue sea.
‘You have such beautiful skin. I have an anklet that will look perfect on you’.
I was amused at the casual yet bold comment of the girl and there is not the slightest bit of fakeness about her as she continued to smile and chat.
She quickly eased into a conversation with me asking me if I wanted to buy any clothes from her.
I couldn’t help but like her instantly. I was suddenly so proud that she was conducting herself so bravely in a world that is filled with harsh realities. She said her name was Anjali and she came to Goa for the first time when she was 10 years old with her friends from Hubli, Karnataka, to sell jewellery on the beach and make some money. Since then she has been coming every year to Goa and got married a year back to a boy who was also from her village. Eight months pregnant now, she walks bare-foot on the hot beach from dawn to dusk selling trinkets and clothes, making friendly conversations with the tourists in English, Hindi and Russian. It amazed me that her diction was quite sophisticated and she was very easy with striking a conversation with complete strangers in front of her.
Many like Anjali who come to Goa to make money as pedlars are extremely adaptable and learn a foreign tongue within days. They move from one place to another, sometimes avoiding the watchful eye of a police constable, who makes it his responsibility to drive these hawkers away from the beach. ‘We give him a few hundred rupees and he leaves us alone”, laughs Anjali, sharing her secret.
As I was engrossed in conversation with Anjali and trying out anklets and bracelets, Pushpa, a friend of Anjali, approached eagerly to sell her wares, hoping to convince me in to buying a few baubles from her too. Sarita, a close friend of Anjali, makes quick buck selling coconut water on the beach every day. Another lady goes around giving head, neck and foot massages on the beach. All of them come every year to Goa during the tourist season from different parts of Karnataka. They stay from October – March, make a little money and go back to their native place by the end of the season. The rest of the year they work on the fields as farm hands. This year Anjali and Pushpa, (who is also seven months pregnant) plan to go back early to their native place, in time for their delivery. With an unpredictable future in front of them, but undaunted by the huge responsibility on their shoulders, these ladies look happy and contented with what they have and seem to take life in their stride and live for the moment.
“I feel very happy talking to you didi (‘sister’ in Hindi). Please wish me luck. I am going to have a baby,” said Anjali with a broad smile of her face, as she picked up her sacks and turned around to talk to another prospective buyer.
