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| With Deepak and relatives. |
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| With Deepak and family. |
-Brian Mendonca
I was sitting at Shantadurga restaurant on CHOGM road, Porvorim this morning for bhaji pao when I called to wish Deepak for the festival of Ganesh. I was on holiday - in a mood to savour the much-awaited Ganesh break, offered so magnanimously in Goa.
He invited me to his ancestral house at Uccasaim for the traditional lunch. I was delighted. The last time we had gone was six years back in 2018. That was before COVID and before his brother Vijay passed on in the middle of a game of cricket two years ago.
Yet their resilience showed as they all rallied around for the festival of Ganesh.
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| Matoli display at Panjim. |
Lunch, prepared by all the members of the household, was delicious. Handis of dal, moonghati, chana-ros, ambadechi sasanv, valchi bhaji, kappas of breadfruit, raw bananas, and karela, pooris, and rice awaited us. Papad, mango pickle, kokum and rasam tickled the taste buds. Dessert was kheer, caju barfi, pooran poli, and pedas.
Every time our plates seemed empty they asked us to help ourselves to more. We really felt at home.
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| Interior of Shantadurga restaurant. |
We enjoyed the conversation with Deepak and his extended family. We were updated about his children and were thrilled to know a marriage was round the corner. Time flies by so fast!
We dwelt on destiny and how life is shaped by it; how the source of happiness keeps changing with time, and how it is necessary to close one window to open your mind to other opportunities. Our journey from Delhi to Goa was a case in point. Deepak brought out my third book of poems Jasmine City: Poems from Delhi (2023) from his set-up in Navelim.
The benefits of yoga were also extolled by Deepak, who is himself a yoga instructor. On most days he gathers a batch of enthusiasts on his terrace at 5 a.m. and puts them through their paces. He values time highly.
The eco-friendly Ganesha was made by what was available. It will be immersed tomorrow.
It struck me later that Goddess Shantadurga is the kul devta of Deepak's household. I shared this with him.
As we moved to leave at 4.25, the children were getting ready to perform their items for the family evening. Earlier in the day they had painting and vegetable-carving competitions.
Deepak asked us to stay for tea. They served us in delicate ceramic cups with saucers. They all had in steel tumblers - part of the kitchen items for the festival of Ganesh.
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Pix taken by Brian Mendonca at Deepak's ancestral place, Uccasaim Goa on Sat, 7 September 2024. Updated 8/9/24.
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