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SOME TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS FOLLOWED IN GOA
HISTORY
HOW TO MAKE JAGGERY
Palm jaggery is synonymous with Goan sweets. Whether it is the kazarache boll or dodol, almost every sweet dish requires the flavor of Goa’s black gold, maddache godd. This jaggery is really irreplaceable and no sugar or white jaggery can replace it. Sadly, and as with most things Goan, what was used for daily consumption is now turning into a once a year affair. In the old days, people would eat rice with jaggery and even have pieces of jaggery for breakfast; but with the very few manufacturers of jaggery left, this palm produce is fast entering the realm of extinct species.
Angela Rodrigues from Korjim has been making and selling jaggery for the past 43 years. She might be old but her way of working isn’t. “People don’t appreciate the hard work that goes into making jaggery, the hours of sitting in front of the burning furnace,” she says. She brings her baskets filled to the brim with triangular pieces of jaggery in a rickshaw and brings it to the Mapuca market where there exist just fiver sellers of jaggery. Angela has seen the steady rise of prices in the market over the years. “Making jaggery is not an easy task. The end result is definitely sweet but the hard work takes its toll”, she explains. Making jaggery is a family tradition which Angela learnt from a very young age by watching her parents. She has her own palm trees from which they collect toddy (the sap from the coconut palm) everyday. Unfermented fresh toddy is a sweet and nourishing drink. The toddy is first kept to rest for a minimum of ten hours and Angela’s family first collect a huge amount of toddy before they can start with the jaggery making process. They collect a whole week’s supply and boil it in a huge vessel over a fire, says Angela. The toddy is boiled for eight hours continuously stirring it. It is then strained for any impurities and boiled again for an hour and kantlele chunn (scrapped coconut) is added to it. Once this mixture is thick enough it is poured into custom made wooden triangular moulds and kept for an hour. The jaggery is now ready. Angela sells baskets of jaggery during the Christmas season. As sugar is now used increasingly to make sweets instead of jaggery, the demand for Goan jaggery has decreased. Unfortuntely age is catching up with Angela and she plans soon to sell jaggery made from other suppliers, instead of making her own.
Extract from the Herald Newspaper dated 17 July 2009
HUNG OUT TO DRY
The Goan identity is rooted, among other things, in deep enjoyment of food and drink. The Goan chourico is a spicy pork sausage that owes more than a passing debt to Portuguese culinary traditions. This versatile food can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It can be served as a snack, an accompaniment or even the main course.
Most villages have their own sausage vendors who have been supplying families for decades and the tradition passes down from generation to generation. The suppliers also collect dhon (leftovers and waste food) from various households everyday to feed their pigs. The pigs are not given any additives nor are they in any way specially medicated for quicker growth. The strength of their food lies in these buckets of nutritious leftovers. In the Margao Municipal market, Rosalina Mascarenhas, 68, still sits in her stall as she has been doing for the past 57 years. Learning the trade from her grandmother’s knee, she perfected the technique with her mother. She has since not only been making sausages but managing the upkeep of her pigs, and the making of her sausages. The process is simple but rather tedious. “The pork is cubed and salted for a day. It is important to make sure the meat is weighted down as the salt needs to permeate the meat”, she says. The next day the meat is marinated in a specially prepared marinate ground in vinegar. After marinating the meat is made to stay for another 12 hours. It is then strung and hung to dry in a sukdar (a special room for smoking sausages) for three to six days.
Sausages available in the market are of two kinds, masacheo (meat sausages) and khatteiche (skin and fat sausages). “After the pork is sorted, the skin and the fat just below the skin is kept aside and specially treated, this is used to make khatteiche chourisan, costing Rs 100 for 70. This home industry is fast losing ground. With no support from the government and the threat of swine flu, the sale of pork has plummeted. “We used to hire people for the business of making of sausages, and today we had to let them go, because there is no sale”. Before we used to consume ten pigs, and today we consume only one. Why does the government not keep the people informed that the swine flu has nothing to do with our home grown and reared pigs?
Extract from the Herald Newspaper of 10July 2009
KEEPING UP TRADITION - BREAD AND BUTTER FOR THEM
The Friday Mapuca market bustling with colours and different flavours is nothing less than a carnival. People from different villages of Bardez shop at the market hoping to get a good bargain. They tend to shop at the Tavares bakery section in the heart of the market. Somehow its difficult to resist the aroma of their freshly baked breads. The bakery section is buzzing with customers not only on a Friday, but is open and busy throughout the week. Bartholomew Tavares has his bakery in Guirim and sells more varieties than the other bakers. He spreads his breads in categories. It is said the aroma of fresh hot breads sold here attracts customers buying spices and fruits a few lanes away! This family business sells poes and unddes. Poes consist of plain poe, wheat (kunddechi) poe and sweet poe. In breads, they sell French cut bread, butterfly (katare) bread, hot dog bread, buns and even dinner rolls if a prior order is placed. They even make a special kind of sweet bread which is sold during the Lent season. On Maundy Thursday this sweet bread (with a cross on it), similar to the hot cross buns over here in England, is offered at churches to 12 pre-selected parish members who symbolically represent Jesus’ disciples at the Last Supper. Earlier Bardezkars were known for their surichem undde, breads made using fresh toddy. Unfortunately, it is not made anymore. “We stopped making those breads because there are very few toddy tappers left to begin with, while the price of toddy itself has gone through the roof. Besides our prices are very reasonable and there is not much of a demand for those breads”, says Bartholomew. So whether you are applying just butter over your bread or eating yesterday’s fish curry with your poe, Goan breads definitely adds extra taste. Goans are after all not called Goemchem podear for fun, Goan bread has been relished for times immemorial.
Extract from the Herald newspaper dated 4 July 2009.
BHIKAREANCHEM JEVONN
A traditional Goan wedding brings with it a cartload of interesting rituals and practices. One such ritual that involves almost the entire ward of the village is bhikareanchem jevonn, a sumptuous lunch given by the soon-to-be bride or groom at their respective homes where friends, family and neighbours are invited to partake in the traditional meal.
With a set menu which includes, xitt, koddi, nuste cooked in a very traditional manner, randpinnis are the chefs for the day. They work in a group of two or three women who prepare almost seven dishes before 11am, catering to a crowd of more than hundred people. Traditionally, the food served during this ritual is eaten out of potravolleos, which are plates made out of leaves.
In the village of Divar lives Magdalene and Conceicao who cook the buffet not just for the village of Divar but also cter to areas as far-reaching as Siolim in the North to Margao in the South. “We cook brown rice, sukhea sungtanchi koddi or sambarachi koddi, chonneacho melgor, dudiancho melgor, tendliancho melgor, fried fish and finally vonn, a dessert served since time immemorial”, says Magdalene who has been preparing jevonn for the past twenty years.
Bhikareanchem jevonn and melleleanche jevonn is the same kind of lunch except the fact that the latter one is offered for the death anniversary of a family member while the former is a meal given before a wedding dedicated to the souls of departed family members, to bless the bridal couple in their married life. For the bhikareanchem jevonn, besides vonn, soji a delicacy prepared using ground wheat, coconut juice and black jaggery is also served. The randpinnis prepare sukhea sungtanchi koddi one day before the actual lunch as it is more time-consuming and the curry tastes better for the lunch. All the masalas are prepared in advance and kept for the next day. “Sukhea sungteachi koddi requires dried shrimps, sambracho masala, coconut juice, salt, jaggery and padde (dried mango pieces). The same masala is also used for preparing three different types of melgor the next day, says Conceicao.
On the big day, they are up even before sunrise. The fire is lit at as early as 2 am. While one chops the vegetables, another starts scraping coconuts, another cleans the rice and boils it in huge utensils. They strain the rice and keep another vessel to prepare the vonn. Vonn has to be constantly stirred as the liquid can burn at the base of the vessel in just a blink of an eye. Everything is prepared in their backyard and later transported to the venue. Once the meal is cooked it is taken to the venue before 11.30am in good time for serving lunch by 1pm, depending on the rituals and prayers. In potravolleos, the guests are first served bread and banana and then the meal with water mango pickle and finally vonn. Traditionally food was served with kott’techo dovlo which are ladles made out of coconut shells and bamboo sticks and vonn was served in clean coconut shells (kotti) instead of bowls. Strong potravolleos were made using overlapping jackfruit leaves sewed together with stems instead of thread. These have now been modified into light machine-made plates processed out of tree leaves. Traditionally the people invited used to sit on the floor and enjoy the meal served to them, but now this practice has changed to self-serve buffets. It is important that we follow the traditions taught to us by our parents. “People appreciate our hard work and compliment us by taking two or sometimes three helpings,” says Magdalene who charges per day for the food she and her team cooks.
Extract from the Herald Newspaper dated 8 August 2009
Hooman ani Xitt
Pez, a word bound to bring memories into the mind of every Goan is a moniker for Kanji. This soul food brings with it tradition, nostalgia, health, strength and a sense of home. Kanji knows no caste or creed, no economic nor social call. Pez is the one word which binds all Goans irrespective of religion. It could even be called a secular food.
Hooman ani Xitt (fish curry & par-boiled rice) is the staple food of Saraswat Brahmin. Many Brahmins are pisco-vegetarians. The inclusion of fish in the diet is not looked upon as non-vegetarian. Legend has it that when the Saraswati River dried up, the Saraswats who could not farm, were permitted to eat sea food/fish. A typical breakfast in a Saraswat home includes pez of ukdem tandhul (par-boiled rice) and lonche (pickles) and papad. In most Catholic households comes 10.30am, a bowl of pez flavoured with a hint of homemade pickle or a kalchi kodi (leftover curry) on the side was a must for all; the very young, the young and the old. This mid-morni ng pez wards off voracious hunger pangs at lunch which make you eat more than necessary. But pez wasn’t always served as a mid-morning snack. Kanji provides strength, stamina and cools one down. There are medicinal properties of Kanji which were legendary. Zor rodta pejeik is the colloquial cry when asked about the properties of Kanji. The strength and nutrition in the Kanji is based on the amount the rice has been polished. The final process in the cultivation of rice is taking the paddy to the mill for polishing. Boiled rice can be polished clean or to the specification of the customer. It is very strengthening for children, especially to keep them healthy and strong.
The history behind Kanji can be traced back to the mid 1500s to Garcia de Orta, a Portuguese Jew refugee who relocated to Goa. He was a renowned doctor, pharmacologist, philosopher, botanist and anthropologist and during his stay in Goa he was served Kanji every mid-morning by his maid Antonetta. He studied the properties of Kanji thoroughly and started prescribing the dish as a daily diet. This was immediately accepted as the staple food of the Goans. The Portuguese then studied the phenomenon of Kanji and incorporated chicken into the process of cooking and discovered the immediate effect it had on nursing mothers. Lactation almost doubled.
On the lighter side, April every year sees the Kanji celebrated at the feast of Our Lady of Annunciation in Siridao. The feast is also known as the pejechem fest – the feast of the kanji. The serving of free and unlimited pez is a form of penance for owning a “pensavanchem bhat”. Pesao is a belief of a curse on the current owner of a property for not fulfilling the promise of an offering of a number of masses, for the soul of the late owner. Pensavanchem Bhat means an offering of penance in punishment for not fulfilling the vows. Custom has it that the kanji was cooked in seven big pots (moddkeo). As part of the custom the kanji cannot be cooked by widows but by married women who are called soyasini. The pez, of boiled rice (ukdde tandull), was cooked in a thatched palm enclosure (mollancho mattov) and served in traditional Goan dishes (maltule or kholleanchem aidon).
The custom dates back to centuries. People came from far off places like Sanvordem and Sanguem to Siridao sailing in canoes and sailboats (voddeanim ani pathmarinim). Some would play the ghumttam (traditional Goan drums) and sing songs. These pilgrims would sail through the Zuari, secure their boats behind the chapel and climb up the hill. Some would come on foot the previous day and stay overnight in the village. All to eat the PEZ with miskut (pickle) and fulfill the vows made.
Extract from the Herald newspaper dated 7 July 2009
Customs in India
India is a land of often bewildering diversity. It is a jigsaw puzzle of people - of every faith and religion, living together to create a unique and colourful mosaic. There is a festival for every reason and for every season. Many festivals celebrate the various harvests, commemorate great historical figures and events, while many express devotion to the deities of different religions. Every celebration centres around the rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new clothes, music, dance and feasting.
Namaskar - Namaskar or Namaste is the most popular form of greeting in India. It is a general salutation that is used to welcome somebody and also for bidding farewell. While doing namaskar, both the palms are placed together and raised below the face to greet a person. It is believed that both the hands symbolise one mind, or the self meeting the self. While the right hand represents higher nature, the left hand denotes wordly or lower nature. Other common forms of greetings by various communities and regions in India are Sat-sri-akal by the Sikhs, Adaab by the Muslims, Vannakkam by the Tamilians, Juley by the Laddhakis and Tashi Delag by the Sikkimese, amongst others.
Tilak - Tilak is a ritual mark on the forehead. It can be put in many forms as a sign of blessing, greeting or auspiciousness. The tilak is usually made out of a red vermilion paste (kumkum) which is a mixture of turmeric, alum, iodine, camphor, etc. It can also be of a sandalwood paste (chandan) blended with musk. The tilak is applied on the spot between the brows which is considered the seat of latent wisdom and mental concentration, and is very important for worship. This is the spot on which yogis meditate to become one with Lord Brahma. It also indicates the point at which the spiritual eye opens. All thoughts and actions are said to be governed by this spot. Putting of the coloured mark symbolises the quest for the 'opening' of the third eye.
Arati - All rites and ceremonies of the Hindus begin with a tilak topped with a few grains of rice placed on this spot with the index finger or the thumb. The same custom is followed while welcoming or bidding farewell to guests or relations. Arati - Is performed as an act of veneration and love. It is often performed as a mark of worship and to seek blessings from God, to welcome the guests, for children on their birthdays, family members on auspicious occasions or to welcome a newly wedded couple. Five small lamps called niranjanas are filled with ghee or oil and arranged in a small tray made of metal. A wick is made out of cotton wool and placed in the lamps. A conch-shell filled with water, auspicious leaves or flowers, incense or lighted camphor are also placed in the tray. The lamps are lit and the tray is rotated in a circular motion in front of the deity or the person to be welcomed. The purpose of performing arati is to ward off evil effects and the influence of the 'evil eye'.
Garlanding - Flower garlands are generally offered as a mark of respect and honour. They are offered to welcome the visitors or in honour to the Gods and Goddesses. The garlands are generally made with white jasmine and orange marigold flowers. They are weaved in thread tied at the end with the help of a knot.
Bindi - A bindi is an auspicious mark worn by young girls and women. Bidi is derived from bindu, the Sanskrit word for dot. It is usually a red dot made with vermilion powder which is worn by women between their eyebrows on their forehead. Considered a symbol of Goddess Parvati, a bindi signifies female energy and is belived to protect women and their husbands. Traditionally, a symbol of marriage, it has become decorative and is worn today by unmarried girls and women as well. No longer restricted in colour or shape, bindis are seen in many bright colours and in different shape and designs. They are also made of coloured felt and embellished with coloured glass or glitter.
Nose Pin - Many Indian women wear a pin on their nose studded with stones, called a nose pin. A symbol of purity and marriage, the nose pin is today adorned by many unmarried girls as well.
Mangalsutra - Is a necklace made of black beads, worn only by the married women as a mark of being married. It is the Indian equivalent of the western wedding ring. The mangalsutra is tied by the groom around his bride's neck. Mangalsutra is generally made out of two strings of small black beads with a gold pendant. The black beads are believed to act as protection against evil. The married women wear this to protect their marriage and the life of their husband. In southern India, the mangalsutra is called 'tali'. It is a small gold ornament, strung on a cotton cord or a gold chain.
Shakha-Paula - are a pair of shell (shakha) and red coral (paula) bangles worn as marriage symbols by the Bengali women.
Making Art out of Terracota
Her work is larger than life: she works with clay to make sculptures - large, impressive and arresting! In 1986 Verodina De Souza first started working with terracotta to begin a career of sculpting. A graduate of fine arts, she dabbles in painting to take a break from sculpting. Her first few sculptures were spotted by Wendell Rodricks who encouraged her to continue. Her subjects are mainly human figures; her medium is terracotta which is then fired in a wood kiln to harden the surface. Her imagination is stirred by ordinary people - workers by the roadside engaged in manual labour, thein wiry frames have an elegance - their postures and movements is what she captures in clay, molding her creations with her talented hands. There is a sculpture of three fisherwomen displayed behind the Old Secretariat which was commissioned by the Government six years ago. These figures are just over 6 ft. tall. Her most remarkable sculptures are exhibited in Mumbai. The beauty of her art portrays fluid movement and a silent communication which conveys a message to the public who view it Her compositions are low key so that the simplicity of the figure is not disturbed. She says, "Clay is very therapeutic - it can be very healing and soothing. It is like a form of meditation and I am in tune with my creations when I am working". Verodina sums up her philosophy of life - "Live in the present, forget the past, and don't hink of the future. Just live for now!"
Article by Jayanti Bhattacharyya. Goa Tourism, March 2010 issue
The Portuguese on the East India coast - History of Vailankanni
The west coast of India, especially Goa, together with Daman and Diu, were so closely associated with the Portuguese in India, that the exploits of these colonials on the east coast of India is all but forgotten. But while Vasco da Gama first came to Calicut and then moved up the coast to establish a fairly big settlement at Goa, there were equally important settlements on the eastern coast. For the Portuguese trade links spread beyond India up to China. In the 16th century the enclaves on the eastern coast were indeed several, where these rulers sought trading privileges from the local rulers, and were granted rights over several tracts of land.
The district of Nagapattinam, in present day Tamil Nadu was in contact with Portuguese traders from the early 16th century. Even the Greek traders were known to trade here. Nagapattinam was the shipping point of foreign trade during the Chola reign in South India. In 1554, the Portuguese established a commercial hub that was the watering point for their ships coming in from China. In 1657, the town was occupied by the Dutch, and became the chief possession of the latter power. With the ascendancy of the Dutch in this area, the Portuguese influence in the area gradually diminished; interestingly enough the Portuguese implant of a little chapel at a village called Vailankanni still continues till this day. It is indeed a story worth listening to!
In the 17th century, a Portuguese merchant vessel, set sail from Macao in the South China Sea on its way to Colombo. While in the Bay of Bengal the vessel was caught in a storm. The terrified sailors fell to their knees to beg the Virgin Mary to save them. They vowed to build a Church in her honour if their ship were saved. Miraculously the storm subsided and the ship landed on the shores of Vailankanni. The villagers, who found the shipwreck, took the latter to Christians living at Nagapattinam. These sailors true to their vow, decided to build a chapel to Mary at Vailankanni, because they were saved from the storm. During their subsequent visits to India, they brought the statue of Our Lady that is installed in the Church till today. According to Fr Rector, the Priest in charge of the church, the statue there is 300 years old, being the original statue that was donated by the Portuguese traders. This shrine of Our Lady does attract thousands of devotees from all religions on a daily basis. The recent Tsunami destroyed everything within sight on the east coast, except this Church which was a haven of safety for those who sheltered inside. Modern miracles do happen for those who believe!
Article taken from the Herald newspaper dated 15 November 2009.
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