In September, the monsoons leave behind a lush green landscape covered in a bountiful harvest. Families are busy preparing an auspicious welcome for Ganesha, the Lord of Wisdom and Prosperity to their home.
Celebrations in Goa significantly differ from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. According to Rajendra Kerkar, an environmentalist and writer, Ganesh Chaturthi worship in Goa ‘is in vogue since the Gupta period.’ He notes a sketch by Lopes Mendes on a Ganesh celebration in Panjim. Additionally, he points to the old Kadamba period Ganpati temple on Divar Island. A new temple stands in the same place.
One of the significant features of the festivities is its close connection to Mother Nature. Kerkar explains that in Goa it showcases the seasonal biodiversity in the vicinity “It is not only the festival of worshipping the God, but transmitting the knowledge of the ethno-botanical traditions which have been followed. Earlier, they made clay idols from the silt brought by the river,” he says.
Matoli |
The traditional matoli, a checkered bamboo frame above the idol, is decked with fruits such as coconut, mango leaves, bunches of bananas, aambaade, and seasonal fruits and flowers. Kerkar reveals that the matoli can contain up to 300 items.
Ganpati celebrations commence a day before the main festival (known as tai) with the worship of Lord Ganesha’s parents, Parvati and Mahadev. According to Dr. Maria de Lourdes de Bravo da Costa Rodrigues in her book, Feasts, Festivals, and Observances, ‘a bundle of different kinds of herbs, leaves of medicinal trees, and plants are wrapped in a leaf of the Kasaalli shrub. This bundle signifies Parvati and contains arjun patri, Chiddo, Dhavi patri, and turmeric leaves.’
Offerings to Lord Ganesha include sweets like modak, neureos, samosa, and puri. At the lavish festive spread, traditional recipes like chonneachem tonak, dal ros, mugaganthi, khatkhatem, waran, udameti, ros, and monganne or sooji are made for the family. A sheaf of the fresh paddy is offered on the second day of Ganesh.
Matoli shopping at Panaji Market |
Family reunion and age-old customs
A striking feature of celebrations in Goa is the continuing worship of the paper Ganesh by families like the Mhamai Kamat in Panjim. When the Portuguese banned idolatry in Goa, the Kamats found a way to keep the tradition alive. Their 350-year-old tradition lives on. Every year, their ancestral residence in Panjim unites the entire family, including Sangita Gaunecar, the daughter of the house, for a grand celebration. She recalls, “We call it Patrecho Ganpati. Today, it’s a set of three framed paintings on paper: his parents, Shiva and Parvathi, on either side, with their son at the center. In the past, the Portuguese would break the trunk of the idol. While most families relocated to other areas, mine remained in Panjim. Since we had good relations with the Portuguese, we didn't worship the idol, but instead, we continued worshipping the paper Ganesh.”
After the pooja, the new images of the deities are hung on the wall in the Garbhagraha for worship throughout the year. The old pictures are removed and immersed in the Mandovi River. A blessed coconut, along with flowers is also immersed into the family well, as part of the customary visarjan.
Across Goa, Ganpati brings generations back to their ancestral homes. In the South, 250 members of the Sanvordekar family, originating from Sanvordem village, return to their 288-year-old palatial home. In Shiroda, the Vaidya family worships an idol made from wood. “Since they were involved in collecting herbs, their celebrations revolved around the trees. Every year, an artist paints the wooden idols. They use the same idol for future celebrations,” shares Kerkar.
