(3 Jun '12)
I don't worry about who
worships which God and how. What interests me about different religions is
food, music and language. Hindus don't use vinegar in their cooking, the
Catholics do. Catholics put salt in their rice whilst cooking it, Hindus don't.
I’ve learned recently that Catholics didn't traditionally set curd. Wonder why,
considering it's a tasty milk product that helps 'cool' the system according to
our ancient traditions. History is fascinating: Fatima Gracias' prize-winning
book on Goan history through food is out of print. I’m not surprised.
Funnily enough, when I
have guests, the only place I can think of where I can get good vegetarian
Hindu food is my mother's house. No restaurant serves moonga-shaak, udd-methi
(the places that do serve it don't do the recipe justice), khatkhate, kholmbo,
etc. There are pumpkin and radish bhaajis and brinjal preparations that aught
to be promoted with bhakris. These can very well be placed alongside
Mediterranean or European fare. I think we get better international food in Goa
than in any other place in India. Quality and variety included.
But more than food,
what's missing (except maybe in five star hotels, I don't know) are Indian
classical music programs in the tourist belts. I recently went for a delightful
evening of jazz in Panaji. I’ve been for a couple of wonderful western
classical music soirees at the Art Chamber, Calangute. I read about many
programs … but rarely, if ever, of an Indian classical music one. Considering
that most tourists come for an Indian experience and that Goa has a music
tradition as rich as that of any other state in this country (possibly more, if
one sees the percentage of excellent singers Goa has produced), it's not enough
to have little press releases tucked away in the vernacular papers. Why not
promote the singers who entertain the gods and devotees at zatraas? Some of
them are brilliant but struggling young talents. Ticketed programs at hotels
might be profitable to artists and
owners. The stuff that's displayed on the one hour evening 'cruises' on the
Mandovi are shabby versions of our folk music and dances. I’m sure they could
improve and present themselves better.
Coming to language, in
Goa Saxticars have a vocabulary and accent distinctly different from the Bardez
folk. The Catholics have a dialect that
has less Marathi in it. Yet all of us understand each other pretty well. The
upper classes speak a tongue different from the lower strata and presently the
bhailey (we need to standardise the spelling of this word, for friend Dr MS has
told me each time it's printed in a different way) speak a konkindi (konkani +
hindi) and the college goers communicate in konklish. The latter is bound to
grow and evolve in these days of smsese, the latest language on earth.
Our local games (I’ve
said this before) kabaddi, kho-kho and some of the indoor games (like those
played with shells, kawdees) should be promoted as much as the others. Popular
village games like breaking the coconut or climbing a palm could be marketed
well. I don't say we must ban anything; let's have these past-times alongside
golf or roulette and card games. There will be takers for both.
The other day, I saw a
van full of big, ripe jackfruits wheeling towards the beach belt. It brought
back one memory of my tenure in Guest Relations in a hotel. A group of British
tourists had discovered a jackfruit seller in the market and by word of mouth
had sent the vendor many customers. They hadn't seen anything like it (well,
they hadn't seen anything like the guava or the chickoo either) nor smelt nor
tasted anything like it. “Why,” one of the ladies asked me, “Do you serve
strawberries and melons at mealtimes? We get those back home. We want to taste
new things. We won't give you bananas if you come to England, we'll offer you
apples and peaches, won't we? We've come all this way to see and experience the
real India, the real Goa.”
The only thing that's
changed between then and now is the quantity of garbage. We're still selling
Goa unimaginatively. Ah well, hope springeth eternal, next season we will be
better than before.
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