And you all know how finicky a principal can be about a good performance by the school who always emphasized that ‘children are the future of our country’. While school was abuzz with everything white – uniform, shoes, socks, ribbons, crisp marching a la military precision, at home my parents were agog with the feast of Our Lady of Assumption; the day on which everyone had to attend morning mass first and only then take part in the day’s highlight – preparation of the Goan traditional patolleo preparation, a Goan delicacy to die for – across the length and breath of sobit Goyem.
Much labour goes into making this delicacy and automatically brings the family together, which is a rarity today. The ingredients are purchased over several days as excitement builds up. The patolli panna (haldi leaves) are bought from the local woman who does not budge an inch when charging you for every tiny leaf. The maddan godd (black jaggery) is purchased early before stocks run out. The coconuts have to be just right and only family elders can detect a ‘just’ right coconut. The rice has to be the local brown batachem tandul for tasty and nutritious patolleo.
Alas, with nuclear families living in pokey flats, traditional festivals are slowly dying. To revive the old Goan spirit, Socorro village, under parish priest, Fr. Santano Carvalho and Marius Fernandes, annually organize the Patollanche Fest in Socorro Church compound and bring together not just the locals but people of the neighbouring villages too. There’s a lively programme of authentic Goan folk dramas. dances, music, cuisine on August 15 from 11 am to 3.30 pm.
We are happy that, last year the gutsy village-town of Carmona (who stood up to the Rahejas) had a Patollanche Fest too. Hats off to you Carmoncars for spreading the word. We want every village of Goa to follow suit so that our Goenkarponn does not disappear into the pages of history. Only I and you can keep the Goan identity and culture alive for our next generation. Neither the government nor the panchayat can do it with or without Special Status for our state.
