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Goa People
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The
people of Goa prefer to call themselves Goans and not
Goanese. Goans are very much aware of this unique
identity, and they are proud of it and guard it
fiercely. The population of Goa is composed of a Hindu
majority of around 65% and a Christian minority of
around 30%. Muslims and other religions make up the
rest. The Hindu community is dominant in the Ponda,
Bicholim, Pernem, Satari, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona
districts. These areas |
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actually form
part of the New Conquests, made by the Portuguese in the last
stage of the expansion of their Goan empire in the eighteenth
century.
The Old Conquests consists of Salcete,
Mormugao, Tiswadi and Bardez and bore the brunt of the
Portuguese army and the religious zealots. Together, the two
arms of the Portuguese empire, managed to destroy temples and
converted hundreds of non-Christians in these areas, which are
predominantly Christian today. Fortunately, these events have
done nothing to change the warm, friendly and loving nature of
the Goan people. The Goans considers himself a Goan first and
a Hindu, Christian or Muslim afterwards. In contrast to other
parts of India, Goans have developed a remarkable degree of
tolerance towards each other's religious beliefs, and hence
religious fundamentalism is completely unknown in the state.
The best evidence of this is seen in quite a few places of
worship in Goa, where both Hindus and Christians go together.
The Damodar temple at Sanguem, the Church of Our Lady of
Miracles in Mapusa, the Shantadurga temple at Fatorpa are
excellent examples of this unique religious harmony that
exists in Goa. Besides these, a number of other festivals in
Goa are celebrated by members of both communities with equal
fervour. A very high percentage of Goans live abroad than the
members of most other regional communities of India. Goans
love to express the adoration of their homeland in some form
or the other.
The Goan Lifestyle
Goans as the people from Goa are known around the world, have
a unique lifestyle which reflects the perfect blending of the
cultural influences that they have experienced over the
centuries.
By nature, Goans are warm, friendly, easy
going and large hearted. They live life in style and at a
leisurely pace. They are passionate about dance, music and art
which is in their blood and they love their food and feni.
Goans attitude to life is best described by the word Susegad
which means taking life at a relaxed pace and enjoy it to the
full. This unique philosophy of life originates from the
Portuguese word Socegado which literally meant quiet. The
people of Goa have taken that to heart, quite wholeheartedly
while leading quiet and relaxed lives in their peaceful land.
Goans also love their afternoon 'siesta'. Another leftover
from the Portuguese colonial era, the siesta lasts from 1 pm
to 4 pm, when a fair number of shops in the Goan towns and
villages will remain shut. The siesta is much less in evidence
as compared to yesteryears when the streets used to wear a
deserted look around lunchtime. This does not mean that the
Goans are not hard-working. They toil long and hard in their
rice, coconut and cashew nut plantations and reap the bounties
of nature. A very large number have migrated all over the
world, working hard for their livelihood and sending money
back home to their loved ones. Goans are very much fashion
aware and tourists are likely to see the very latest in
designer wear on the streets, no sooner than the it appears
elsewhere in India. Clothes form an important part of the Goan
lifestyle making it essential to dress well at the various
social occasions that occur around the year. |
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Culture of the People of Goa
Goa’s cultural traditions literally stretch back to the
dawn of civilization. Despite successive onslaughts and
the ravages of alien occupation, Goa’s cultural
traditions have displayed amazing resilience with
stimulation by every fresh challenge. Goa’s cultural
heritage was enriched by a slow but unremitting process
of absorption and assimilation of the more congenial
features of alien culture. The focal point being the
symbiosis |
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of Latin and
local cultural strains. A Goan is said to be born with
music in his blood and music literally accompanies him from
the cradle to the grave. Musical traditions run in whole
generations. Music itself runs the entire gamut of sonic
versatility; from the rustic Dhangar (Shepherd) playing and
flutes to sophisticated tabla and sitar or violin and piano
player thrilling large audiences in concert halls. Music is
the time seller at all major social events-feasts, festivals,
“zatras”, and marriages. Goan folk music has a lively rhythm
and the folk-dances a rugged vitality. The musical
accompaniment for both folk songs and the folk dances is
provided by a diversity of musical instruments like Ghumats,
Dhols, Cymbals (Drums), Flutes, Harmonium, Violins and
Guitars. The favorite, however, seems to be the Ghumat.
Watching a live performance can elicit to a certain degree its
emotional content, rhythmic charm, the colorful variety and
vitality. Freedom brought about a cultural renaissance in Goa
along with providing a fresh impetus to the classic literature
and fine arts and a revival of the folk arts. Once again the
almost forgotten folk dances Dhalo, Fugdi, Corridinho, Mando
and performing folk arts (like Khell-Tiatro), Jagar-perani and
many others have come out into their own. Indeed the folk
music and folk dances have crossed the borders of the state
and become popular in the rest of the country during the past
25 years.
Language of Goa
Goa is a multi-lingual state. At present, Marathi and Konkani
are two major languages of Goa. Hindi, the national language
of India, is well understood in Goa. In major towns, English
is widely used in writing and conversation. On the other hand,
Portuguese, the language of the colonial rulers and the
official language till 1961 before liberation, notwithstanding
the official patronage and a compulsory medium of study,
failed to make a dent in the mind of the majority of Goans. It
remained only the language of the elite but alienated the
masses. Thus just after the departure of the Portuguese,
Portuguese lost all its favour and usage. However, very few,
particularly the older or pre-liberation generation still use
Portuguese. Konkani and Marathi, survived in Goa by secret
studies at home, in temples and public places in villages.
Both Konkani and Marathi are derived from Sanskrit, the mother
of majority of Indian languages. These two languages use
Devnagari script like Sanskrit. Hindi is also written in
Devnagari script while Roman script is used for English and
Portuguese. Goans speak Konkani. Konkani is also written in
Kannada in Karnataka and in Malayalam script in some parts of
Kerala. Famous Goan poets and writers have written and
published their literature in Konkani. Konkani plays called "Tiatr"
or "Natak" are held in each and every village. "Tiatr" are
held by the Goan Christian community and "Natak" are held by
the Goan Hindu Community. It is a must for the local Deity's
feast or a Local Saint's Feast or Zatra. Tiatr plays are the
folk variety. The Tiatr groups now a days stage plays in
prominent towns of Goa and are quite popular. |
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