Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most awaited Hindu festivals of Goa. The area above the makkar, the place where the Ganesh idol will be installed, is decorated with the matoli. The matoli consists of an assortment of fruits and vegetables that are tied above the makkar either on a string or to a wooden frame attached to the roof above the idol. It is also believed that since Lord Ganesh is considered the ultimate provider, the fruits and vegetables of the season are offered to him with a prayer for a more fruitful produce the next year.
In
rural areas, people usually set out to collect colourful leaves, berries and
flowers from the wild for their matoli. For city folks, these items are
readily available at the market place. The period before Ganesh Chaturthi has
all the local markets of Goa buzzing with vendors selling items not usually
seen there. The market gets flooded with seasonal fruits, vegetables and rare
berries. A traditional matoli usually consists of fruits like chikoo,
banana, orange, melon, mangoes, hog plums (ambade), carambolas, pumpkin, apple,
guava, breadfruit, avocado, pomegranate, grapefruit, Indian pomelo (toring),
custard apple, coconut, pineapple, lemon, sugarcane, betel nut, etc. Vegetables
comprise banana flowers, pumpkin, lady finger, cucumber, musk melon, snake
gourd (padwal), ridge gourd (gousauli) and a different type of pumpkin called Konkan
dudhi. The list of berries include mauvling, kangla, nagsheo, gagrueo,
kounna, karane, matta and flowers - including haranche fulla, maddachi
poin and finally mango leaves. The amount of fruits and vegetables hung on
a single matoli can sometimes amount to 150 items.