The culture of konkani
Hi, I’m Anusha, and I belong to the Konkani community. I’m here to share our Konkani culture.We Konkani people speak Konkani, and there are many dialects, such as Goan Konkani, Karwar Konkani, and Karnataka Konkani. While most people call the state 'Goa,' we call it Goy or Goyia.Most people only know Goa for its parties and the beaches of North Goa, but for us Konkani people, a trip to Goa is often a pilgrimage to visit our Kuldevi (family deity) temples. When we tell people we are going to Goa, they often think, 'Ah, parties and beaches, right?' But that's not it! We go there for spiritual reasons and to connect with our roots, not just for enjoyment."
For Konkani people, Ganesha Chaturthi (often called Chovoth or Chavathi) is the biggest and most significant festival. Ganesha Chaturthi is our biggest festival. We traditionally perform Fugdi (a folk dance) and place a Kalasha (sacred pot) in front of Lord Ganesha. A unique tradition involves wives giving Vaina Narl (decorated coconuts with lamps) to their husbands.
The "Five Vaina Narl" ritual typically involves placing a lamp on top of a coconut. Historically, wives would visit their parents' home only once a year during this time. They would take two vaina narl for their parents' house, one for their husband (who is revered as a protector), and two for the Kuldevi (family deity) or God. After one and a half or two and a half days of worship, we perform the Visarjan, immersing our Ganesha idol into a Thalle (lake).
As Konkani people, we are Coastal Brahmins. While we are Brahmins, we also eat seafood. People often ask, "How can you be Brahmins and eat non-vegetarian food?" There is a story behind why we eat seafood: In the past, our Swamiji (spiritual leader) asked his shishyas (disciples) to bring him water. However, there happened to be a fish in the water they brought. Seeing this, the Swamiji became angry; he used his powers to make the fish vanish and then drank the water. Two of his disciples witnessed this scene and mistakenly thought, "Our Swamiji just consumed a fish, so we can also eat fish." This misunderstanding is the story behind why we began eating seafood.
By Anusha Ram Anvekar