Prutha Goa

Heta Pandit reproduces poignant tales connected with the process of using a grinding stone, still alive in many a Goan village. As these village women grind away, they sing songs that tell stories. Since this is usually a solitary job, the ladies have only these songs to make light their work.  Heta, a heritage conservationist and writer, says, ‘Welcome to the world of songs from Goa. Songs that are not sung in any pub, club or café, but songs that are sung in people’s homes, kitchens and backyards.’ These are songs that are composed entirely by Goan women and were collected over the course of a year and a half. These are not new songs. They have been a part of Goa’s culture for eons. Discovering this sub-culture in a land that has been ruled by the different dynasties such as the Kadambas, the Adil Shahs of Bijapur, the Portuguese and so on, aside from being culturally and historically influenced by the empires with whom Goa had trade relations and travellers of other regions; has bee

The 7th to the 9th of May saw the celebration of children at the Our Lady of Divar School on Divar Island. Bhurgeanchem Fest , or ‘children’s festival’, was held in association with Uzwaad-The Rays of Hope, a group that focuses on furthering the conservation of Goa’s socio-cultural heritage. The three-day festival had a number of activities for young children that included talks on the history and heritage of Divar by social activist and college professor Prajal Sakhardande, who encouraged the children to learn from history and do their best to preserve and take pride in the heritage that has been passed down to them. Agriculturist Miguel Braganza spoke on gardening and plants to enthuse the youngsters to continue to keep alive the plants and trees that are endemic to Goa, and Sangeeta Naik instructed the young people in using their mobiles and the internet to help them in their studies. There were workshops held in dance, art, street plays, football, singing, tiatr and so on to engag

Abolianchem Fest , dedicated to the abolim flower, was celebrated by Nirmala Institute of Education as the institute’s annual Project Goa celebrations to showcase the socio-cultural aspects of Goan culture before 1975. This included music, games, songs, dances, food, art, craft, etc that is authentically Goan, so as to document and preserve these positive attributes of Goan culture for the benefit of present and future generations of Goans. The festival saw the revival of interest in the abolim , or firecracker flower, also known by its scientific name of Crossandra infundibuliformis . Although it was named the state flower in the early part of the 1970s, there has been a decline in the presence of the flower in most parts of Goa. The abolim flower has been an integral part of religious and cultural rituals in Goa for years, and its resurgence has been spearheaded by the  Abolianchem Fest . Nirmala Institute of Education, where the Abolianchem Fest was held, has been Goa’s foremost s

The Muzgachem Fest at Carmel College of Arts, Commerce and Science for Women, Nuvem was a flurry of musical notes, art and delving into Goa’s cultural roots. On the 9th of December 2017, Marius Fernandes organised his penultimate cultural festival in collaboration with the women’s college which was established in 1964. The campus was abuzz with the chatter of young women around the college’s trademark trees before the basketball court. Clarice Vaz Artist Clarice Vaz, who specialises in spin painting, fluid painting and syringe painting, was on form demonstrating painting using combs and brushes with her usual enthusiasm. Alexyz, the cartoonist, introduced visually impaired artist Stacy Rodrigues, an ex-student of Carmel Higher Secondary School. The indomitable Stacy spoke about her struggles with her eyesight and how she had conquered them. Savio Godinho spent time entertaining the young Carmel ladies with painting attractive images on their forearms. Akshay Chari, a graduate of the Go

It is much easier to hold on to a job that brings in a considerable salary than to take the plunge to allow your creativity and your passion to be your guiding light. Joachim Haider is an architect, originally from Germany (but holds a PIO card at present), who came to India in 2006 after answering an advertisement to be a branch manager at an architectural company in Goa. After spending sixteen years in architectural work in Berlin, Germany, Joachim spent another five years and two months employed in the same field here in Goa. Twenty-one years of stifling one’s creative potential is bound to push an individual to the threshold of adhering to conventionalism. Joachim had a moment of enlightenment when he found himself stranded in Doha for around thirty-five hours in a hotel room. He had just lost his father to cancer and his thoughts went to the time his father had asked not to be force fed as his cancer was terminal. Remembering his father fondly and calling him a remarkable man, Joa

The story of the Goan diaspora began long ago when natives left their land in search of better prospects, journeying to British India in the 18th and early 19th century under Portuguese rule. In the latter part of the 19th century and the early 20th century Goans migrated to East African British colonies and Portugal. The 1960's onwards saw Goans moving to the Gulf countries and emigrating to countries in Europe, North America, Australasia and elsewhere. It would not be incorrect to say that if one travelled to most parts of the world, not discovering a Goan community there would be highly unlikely. There is something about the Goan spirit that creates an indelible bond; one that will not be diminished by time or distance. It is to our credit that Goans are inherently able to integrate with the country they adopt and still maintain their distinct heritage. The necessity to continue to be linked with their homeland led these diasporic Goans to institute what is known as World Goa Da

Jim Reeves crooned about Christmas and reminiscing and how right he still is. Christmas always has that special magic, that touch of nostalgia that tugs at the heart- strings and the warm sensation that everything is all right with the world no matter the burdens you have been weighed down with the entire year long. In the past, Christmas in Goa certainly did not resemble the Yuletide scenes depicted on greeting cards. Modern Christmas tableau is closer to the western conception of Christmas. The glittering tinsel adorning artificial fir trees, glitzy lights, Christmas dances galore; Christ has definitely been moved out of Christmas, with ostentatious commercialism usurping his position. The simple, meaningful Christmases of yesteryear are but a note in history. Edna Noronha, a grandmother, shares her Christmas memories prior to 1958, when Goa was literally in the dark with the absence of electricity. The necessary star that signalled Christ’s presence to the Magi was fashioned out of