By Louis Rodrigues –
Belgaum: For the Goan settlers in the upper ghats region comprising of Haliyal, Khanapur, Ajara, Gadhinglaj and Bhudargad taluks of north Karnataka and south Maharashtra neighbouring Goa, May is the month of magnificence, the month of feasts, weddings, anniversaries, jubilees etc. Scattered all over the globe, the sons and daughters of the soil who are away from the village, flock back to their native to witness the grandeur of the season, and the silent hamlets take a festive look, a common picture witnessed in this region in May.
While there is an overwhelming pomp and celebrations galore, this May, the villagers of Kakkeri in Khanapur taluk in Belgaum experienced cultural bliss- thanks to the ‘ghumot’ competition that was organised here on May 4, the day of the annual feast of St Anthony’s Church here.
Settled here since times immemorial, the villagers whose ancestors left Goa during the 16th and 17th centuries, for diverse reasons before settling here have lovingly conserved Konkani, the age old Goan folklore of ghumots and yersas (verses) strongly maintaining their Goa identity. Sustained efforts are on in the region to conserve the Konkani culture since last couple of decades. Thus, what could be termed as yeoman effort in this direction, Joseph Furtado from Kakkeri village and a senior executive with a MNC at Oman had organised first of its kind ghumot competion. Pairing up with enthusiastic young parish priest of the St Anthony’s Church Fr Ramesh Fernandes and supported by the gauncars, the initiative by Joseph aka Juze was well appreciated. Many teams from different villages took part in the competitions that offered lucrative cash prizes and trophies.
Despite a little communication gap due to which more teams couldn’t participate, the St Anthony’s (old)Church Square here was packed with Konkani enthusiasts to witness the historic moment. “We had made elaborate arrangements for the competition so that teams could give their best. We were amused with the performances given by the veterans and youngsters from each team. Ecstasy and fervour prevailed among the audiences as they were gripped and engrossed in listening to the nonstop (but first 7 min was considered for scoring) ‘ghumots’ presented by the participating teams while those playing the instrument flawlessly presented their skills,” an upbeat Juze said as he savoured the success of the competition.
Elaborate arrangements were made with perfect ambiance for the event that was filled with the spirit of Konkani. Under the direction of Anton Kamil Soz, Alnavar team won the first prize, Moses Mangalwadkar team from Vada-Gundolli won the second prize;the local team under the leadership of Joaquim John Furtado which won the third prize also won the hearts of the audience by singing old traditional ghumots of 1940s. Clad in traditional attire the team attracted the crowd.
Fulfilling the expectations of the gauncars of Kakkeri who had arrived in the village from India and abroad, the competition was not only well acclaimed, but also rejuvenated the otherwise dampening spirit of Konkani culture and raised hopes of those in the region striving hard to preserve it. “A fruitful day indeed. Let us not forget our native villages and Goan culture of our ancestors. Express your gratitude by taking initiatives like this, “an elated and satisfied Juze urged youngsters who have left their villages and are gradually drifting away losing their Konkani identity in the glitter of modern world.