'Chovotiche Sovai'

-Brian Mendonça

This chovoth we were invited to Deepak’s ancestral village in Uccasim, near Bastora. It was a wonderful experience as we rolled over quiet fields that slumbered peacefully under the night sky.

Dwayne however did not appreciate much of the view as he claimed he had kept his head ducked under the window throughout the car ride. He had been warned by his mother not to look at the moon. So he was doing just that.

As we sat in Deepak’s cosy balcony he recalled the legend for us. The Lord Ganesha was miffed that the moon was making fun of his appearance. In retaliation Ganesha cursed the moon saying that since it laughed at him on Chaturthi, ill-fortune will befall anyone who gazes on the moon’s face during the night of Chaturthi.

We sat in the spacious living room and took in the pageant before us. As you entered the doors, swarms of children were enjoying themselves doing a karaoke. To the left was the Lord Ganesha installed in all fervour under an elaborate matov. To the right was the kul devta of the family, the goddess Shantadurga. 

The lavishly-lit house was brimming with relatives who had gathered for the pujas.

Meanwhile Dwayne was launching himself at the tasty savouries laid out before us. The home-made neureus melted in our mouths.

The elders spoke of the syncretic traditions of Goa. We were reminded that goddess Shantadurga and the nearby Milagris saibinn of the Mapusa church are sisters. After the Milagres feast a jar of oil is sent to the Shantadurga temple to light a lamp. We learnt that in Navelim too the practice used to be observed when the second day of the feast was ear-marked for devotions by Hindus.

The Mapusa market on Friday was replete with villagers taking position in the areas enjoying good shade to sell the shrubs, fruit and creepers which make the matov. This is a festival entwined with nature and its rhythms. Usually it is celebrated during the rains, but this year they have been conspicuous by their absence.

During the festive period we heartily partook of the Saraswat vegetarian thali at Cafe Azul sampling seasonal preparations like Bhendiyache Fodi and Kelfulachi Bhaji. A modak sat alongside the Shiro.

Enjoying the week-long holiday I spied a sprightly man selling fish on his scooter. ‘Chovotiche sovai’ – he said beseeching me to buy his fish. Queenie observed that Hindus avoid eating fish during this time. We came away with medium-sized mackerals at Rs. 100 for 8.

In Pune, a 100 ft by 100 ft replica of the 11^th century Brihadeeswara  temple of Thanjavur has been created by the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust. This will house the idol of Pune’s Dagdusheth Ganpati temple for this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi festivities.

As Ashok Godse, president of the Trust put it, ‘The original purpose was two-fold: to showcase our country’s heritage to devotees who cannot afford to travel to other parts of the country, and to serve the larger purpose of uniting people during festivities.’

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Pix at Deepak's ancestral house, Goa on 13th September 2018; Pix of Saraswat thali taken at Cafe Azul, Goa on 15th September 2018.  Pix of Mapusa market taken by the author on 14 September 2018. Published in Gomantak Times Weekender St. Inez, Goa on Sunday, 23 September 2018.