As the sun rises today, it will signify
something of far greater value for those that
gaze upon it from the banks of the Chapora
River. Right now, while many gaze upon
these lines early this morning, a group of
men and women, some young in body and
others long in tooth but younger in spirit
than their counterparts, will toil away, putting
the finishing touches on their boats as they
prepare for the grand boat parade.
This parade has been an integral part of
Siolim’s official São João celebrations for the
last 25 years. However, eons prior, a few men
from the village, including the icon that is
cartoonist Alexyz, set out to pay homage to
Saint John the Baptist, on the day that marks
his celebratory feast. The river took them along
its course, past the chapel that celebrated Saint
John just off Fernandes-Vaddo, till it reached
the embankment a stone’s throw away from
the local church, where, in the midst of the
lush green fields, stood a cross also dedicated
to the same saint.
This rapidly went on to become a tradition,
and an increasing number of people went
on to participate in the festivities. Sylvester
Fernandes, the Sarpanch of the village, who
quite literally immerses himself in all that the
celebrations have to offer, recalls how 26 years
ago, the village came together to make the
festival all that it is today. According to Sylvester,
the festivities were fare more ‘modest’ back
in the day, but year on year, the good folk of
the village came together to put up a mindboggling
display as they sought to make the
parade a tradition that was their very own.
In similar vein, Alexyz recalls how he, along
with another one of the village’s stalwarts from
Zhor-Vaddo, Fermin D’Souza, conceptualised
the parade in 1992. As the parade grew in
terms of reputation as a place to be on that
given day, other participants joined in with
boats from Vaddi, Fernandes-Vaddo, Marna,
Bamon-Vaddo, Tarchibhat, Chinvar (Anjuna)
and so on, making their way to Siolim.
As 2016 rolls around, not too much has
changed, that has in turn altered the village’s
celebrations. The traditional aspect of things
still continues, all the while embracing
modernity. The festivities will be celebrated
in association with the Directorate of Art
and Culture and will begin with the boat
parade comprising seven to eight boats that
will make their way through the river to the
creek opposite the church of Saint Anthony…
The aforementioned cross will be
crowned with a colourful flower kopel
(headgear made of assorted flora, used
by celebrants during São João) and
the participants will get on stage to
introduce themselves and sing a song.
Boats from Siolim and the neighbouring
villages of Vagator, Chapora, Anjuna,
Badem and Assagao are expected
to be a part of the line-up. The best
decorated boat, the best group song
and the loudest call with the conch, will
be awarded the first prize of Rs 25,000,
Rs 20,000 for second prize and Rs
15,000 for third prize.
The entertainment for the evening
will include songs by noted tiatrists
Olga and Seby de Divar, Shaikh Amir
and many local artistes from the village,
accompanied by the brass band headed
by Dominic de Arambol. Folk dances
will be performed by Be Sonic headed
by Bappi and the Kannan Brothers will
entertain with their dance with fire
while Johnny Be Good and Bushka
will also perform on the stage set on
the bank of the creek. Michael Lobo,
MLA of Calangute, will be the Chief
Guest at the event, while Dayanand
Mandrekar, Minister for Art and Culture,
will be the Guest of Honour and Fr
Raul Colaco will be a special invitee
for the event. There will be spot prizes
comprising gold coins for feats such as
the best kopel and the farthest travelled
revellers. The event will conclude with a
firework display.
While one usually thinks of
Lennon and McCartney
when somebody says
the words, “Picture
yourself on a boat on a
river,” in Siolim, those
words take on a whole
new meaning, ones
that deserve special
mention. For it is in
Goa’s villages that
the soul still thrives. And today is a good
day to rediscover a large part of it.
