01 Oct 2022 | 04:56am IST
Matiechem Fest: Celebrating Goa’s red soil
The villagers of Pilerne are in a festive mood as the village gears up to celebrate its first ever crowd-funded community festival, ‘Matienche Fest’ (Festival of the Soil) on October 2. The fest is expected to bring people from across the State together to visit the village and enjoy the programmes showcasing the revellers’ talents
Dolcy D’Cruz
T
he lazy
evenings in Pilerne are now buzzing with activity as every member of the
village is busy helping out with its first ever people’s festival, ‘Matienche
Fest’. Come October 2, the village, which is surrounded by Saligao, Porvorim,
Britona, Betim and Reis Magos and also home to Savlem Lake, will be making
history as it welcomes Goans with day-long activities steeped in heritage,
culture and traditions.
Curated by Goa’s
Festakar himself, Marius Fernandes and Dr Gwendolyn De Ornelas in association
with the villagers of Pilerne, Matiechem Fest (Festival of the Soil) will be
held at St John de Baptist Church, Pilerne from 10 am to 4 pm. The day will
begin with a heritage walk, Pilernechi Pasoi with 13 young boys marching with
colourful flags starting from the village panchayat at 10 am and will culminate
at St John the Baptist Church, with the resonance of Pilerne brass band and
presentation of a short Konkani skit by the Pilerne Theatre Group during the
walk. Once the pasoi reaches the church, the church bells will be rung to
signal the commencement of the festival by parish priest, Fr Derrick Fernandes,
who will launch Pilerne Art and Socio-Cultural Association and Global Goa
Girl’s Ghumot Group, followed by the cutting of a cake to mark the third
anniversary of the declaration of the Ghumot’s heritage status.
This festival marks Marius’ 56th festival till date, in a
journey that began 22 years ago. As has been the norm for all the past festivals,
there will be no chief guest, sponsors, prizes, competition and no alcohol.
There is a special reason why Pilerne was selected as the venue for ‘Matiechem
Fest’ even though there is not a single potter in the village. “During the
Spanish Flu in 1918, which was called ‘Gripe’ in Konkani, the entire village of
Pilerne was affected. The whole Kumbar Vaddo, either moved to other villages
and those who stayed back in the village, died. The pandemic flu erased the
village. The potter families moved either to Vaddem in Soccoro or to Xelpem,
Duler. They are still known as Pienkars in these villages. In the last 30
years, many have found ruins and remains of pottery during excavations carried
out to construct houses in the village, which gives evidence of their lives.
This is our attempt to bring the potters back to Pilerne,” says Marius
Fernandes, who has been living in the village to oversee the preparations.
The 13 wards of the village are divided into five groups, with
each group providing a dish for lunch and presenting a street cultural dance.
The five groups are Goenche Render Goenchi Girestkai, Goencho Poder, Goenchi
Vavradi and Goenchi Mati. Goa’s Konkani superstar Oluv will regale the audience
in his imitable style, rocking the Ghumot on a specially designed maand
(space)that our ancestors used as a stage.
“People’s festivals always have something new to offer. You will
also experience a Cotteao-Zumba ensemble finale. We plan to create a Pinnacle
World Record Goa in using the maximum number of percussion instruments that
will include Ghumots, Maddelems, Cotteaos and other instruments. Eric and Joyce
Pinto will adjudicate and count the number of percussion instruments. Renowned
Chef Peter Fernandes will guide the locals in preparing the varieties of food
with Ukde (brown) rice, Sungta (prawn) curry, local seasonal vegetables,
mackerel fry and other items on the menu. With our commitment to the Zero-
Waste campaign, we want people to come with their own plates, cups, spoons and
cutlery to enjoy the culinary delicacies offered by the villagers, and be part
of the celebration,” says Marius.
Speaking about the festival, Fr Derrick Fernandes, says, “The
response for the festival has been very positive. Everyone is excited and the
villagers are reliving their good old days. The festival is also seeing people
from different faiths coming together, just like Mahatama Gandhi had dreamt of
all coming together. For the pasoi too, there will be renditions of Gandhi’s
values showcased through the skit. There is a lot of hidden talent in the
village which we will get a spotlight at the Matiechem Fest.”
As part of the festival, a three-day workshop will be held till
October 1, which will teach participants the ancient practice of knitting
fronds of the coconut palm into Mollam, art and painting, and visitors can also
learn the basics of playing the Ghumot and dance. There will be a Pilerne Art
Corner where children trained by Conchita D’Souza will put up their artworks.
“There will be a talk by historian Prajal Sakhardande, the students of Our Lady
of Remedios High School will present a dance performance portraying the values
of Mahatma Gandhi, St Thereza High School, Candolim and Lourdes Convent,
Saligao will help with documentation and Chubby Cheeks, Pilerne will present a
Mando performance,” says Marius.
Remember to carry your own cutlery if you
want to enjoy a sumptuous Sunday meal at the first ever Matiechem Fest in
Pilerne.