Hear ye, hear ye! Goa speaks.
What do you get when you mingle Indian and Portuguese culture?
-Goa!
A tiny state that boasts of beautiful culture and traditions, and where would we be without our traditions?
So here to narrate a few of these is Goa herself!
Goa: Deu boro dis dium! (A good day to one and all!)
Today, beyond my mouth-watering cuisine,
Rhythmic folk dances, enchanting scenes,
We shall look,
At truly unique aspects,
My beautiful culture holds.
The 'Roce' ceremony,
On the night before a wedding,
With singing and brass band playing,
An original ritual to beautify the bride,
Now no groom wants to be left behind!
So, bathed in coconut milk, turmeric and oil, they are,
Mischievous pranksters, without a care,
Dump eggs, flour, ketchup and beer!
Marriages..weddings..
Galore of traditions to follow,
Yet so many lost with time.
But if memory serves me right,
Was one called “Xim”, back in the day.
Come reception end,
To the village limit, the bridal party went.
A line was drawn, (xim)
Oh! A division made,
Between families of bride and groom.
Prayers and wishes for the married couple,
Two bottles of feni, a happy tipple,
One for either party,
To drink and pour on this ‘xim’.
Have you heard of Touxeacheam Fest, (Cucumber Feast )?
Childless or with newborn,
Head to the church of St. Anne, Telaulim,
For prayer and thanksgiving,
On the last Sunday of July.
A cucumber placed at St. Anne’s feet,
And take home one…
Interesting, right?!
But halt now, beloved friends,
Before I tell you more,
I must be sure, that you still know,
It is I, your Goa, still speaking,
On peculiar Goan traditions!
Do the thick trunks of banyan trees,
With metres of thread wrapped around,
And the flip flops hanging in view ,
Evoke a sense of curiosity?
On Vada Purnima, when the moon is at its fullest,
Married women tie around the trunk,
For their husbands, a wish of prosperity, longevity.
The flip flops, to ward off evil.
Men must surely have similar acts, for their b'loved wives,
A check, I’ll make, and,
Update you on the same!
Image Credits: goablog.org
The second day of November,
A day for All Souls, remember,
And in the community of Catholics,
Decorated graves,
Burning candles,
Offered masses,
Cooked feasts,
Honour the dearly departed.
Some offerings to the poor,
Yet others, outside, on rooftops, leave,
For animals or crows to relish.
A chance of a loved one's soul,
In form of animal,
Or the black, bold, beautiful crow.
Intruz (Carnival) !
King Momo and his entourage,
Majestic costumes, fabulous floats,
Enthrall the crowds, they do.
A sleepy, beautiful, fishing village,
Nestled on River Sal’s banks,
Velim offers you, a Carnival, different.
Of all nine wards, no religion holds back,
A procession of villagers called ‘Mell’.
To the streets they take,
A prayer at every village cross,
Brass bands, revelry and colour,
Air filled with shouts of "Fuloi Fuloi!",
Viva Carnival!
Yet, so many more,
Left unknown,
For Aristotle once said,
"The more you know, the more you don't know."
Now, an earnest hope I have,
That with these traditions narrated so,
Every person, young and old,
Can become part of our traditional fold.
-Lauren Divya
Sources:
1) Cylde Tellis. (2018, Dec 9). What is a Roce Ceremony? The Local Guide. Goa Travel Blog. https://www.clyde-localguide.com/post/what-is-a-roce-ceremony.
2) (2019, March 6). Touxeachem Feast- The Cucumber Festival in Goa. Thrilling Travel.in. https://thrillingtravel.in/touxeachem-feast-cucumber-festival-goa.html
3) ( 2017, November 1). The Significance of All Souls Day all over the world and in Goa. Its Goa. https://itsgoa.com/significance-souls-day-world-goa/
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