---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Stephen Dias <[email protected]>
GRAND CELEBRATION OF SAO JOAO IN PANJIM (Exclusive to Herald Café) <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e26JlGtPaiU/U6_tMyqcq-I/AAAAAAAAAiA/Y3sh1q5OgA4/s1600/100_0491-751229.JPG> Sao Joao at Caranzalem In my olden days before the liberation and even some years later, we used to celebrate Sao Joao much different of what nowadays people are been celebrating. Sao Joao has nothing to do with the religious belief and there is not even any connection being said in the Bible about this celebration. It has become a routine or so called traditional day which falls on 24th June, 2014 which our old generation were celebrating Sao Joao by jumping in the wells. It need not be their own well but could be even their neighbor's wells. This day is a seasonal day which all the wells becomes full due to the saturated rains which is at the peak and thereafter the wells level starts falling down. The ancestors decided that could be an ideal day for celebration of Sao Joao, and there may be little connection made up with St John de Baptista. The big fun is all the families makes different kind to dishes such as Pork Soropotel, Café Real, Cabidel, Fish Mayonnaise, Pulau, Makerols with Recheado etc and with a bottle of Feni, Moscatel, Vinho Porto, Champanhe, etc Some people used to go to rivers, lakes, bunds or called Bandar to jump and swim with the glass of bottle in hand and drink in the glory of Sao Joao while in sea and even swimming. There were some bets also whoever brings out the bottle from the sea, a prize was offered. The retrieved bottle was given to all those present to drink and enjoy. Whole day this fun was there and late in the evening when they reach home a Ladainha was said and again the drinking mood was continued with dances and food in various halls. The elders at home were cooperating with the youngsters to celebrate Sao Joao Now, the scenario every year is changing depending upon the mood of people, financial burden, and other activities like watching serial, movies etc in TV, and not mixing up with the neighbors or friends. People have become selfish and the mood of Sao Joao is diminishing slowly. To make the things worse we have now all the wells polluted with garbage thrown in the wells, in sea, rivers and people cannot enjoy the fun of Sao Joao as per our old tradition. I have witnessed this year a different type of Sao Joao a sort of new style of celebrating as people at Campal dug within 24 hours a big area just opposite of Dayanand Bandodkar Footbal ground of size about 60 square metres covered with huge tarpaulin where girls and boys seen jumping and bathing with the water splashing from the top piping made of several holes in the pipe with the water pressure so that there is a continuous flow of spring type of water. I believe this arrangement was done and sponsored by Dy. Mayor of CCP Mr Kabir Pinto Makhija, on his personal capacity since this day happened to be his birthday. <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Le8NC1Z7JdI/U6_u6PCcYDI/AAAAAAAAAiU/S1P6N0dWJkw/s1600/100_0494.JPG> Photo from Campal <https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-nMnJjOIVRpw%2FU6_u61bd70I%2FAAAAAAAAAiY%2F5vYU9m5BUs0%2Fs1600%2F100_0495.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*> Sponsor for Campal celebrationsSimilarly people celebrated at Tonca, Caranzalem , D.Paula at Cacra, , St Cruz and St Ines etc. with same kind of arrangement of having piping with holes and bathing. This year in Taleigao people could not celebrate Sao Joao as they were disappointed with the owner of a big housing colony which they have denied entry in their swimming pool; even they were checked out by the police force. I have some few photographs which is attached, taken by me, from these different places where people enjoyed Sao Joao. <http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dA0SibBnLjc/U6_tLW9n57I/AAAAAAAAAho/gYTaQEU4Lvk/s1600/100_0493-744188.JPG> Celebrations in Tonca <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdkRkSsWJSM/U6_tNycscnI/AAAAAAAAAiM/uyeSrl57l-0/s1600/100_0490-755376.JPG> Caranzalem celebrations <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L44lNz8_88k/U6_tMHijEeI/AAAAAAAAAh0/DErrLo-IH-0/s1600/100_0492-748213.JPG> Caranzalem revellers I feel bad that they could not enjoy on traditional way, as the wells are badly contaminated with polluted materials like garbage, sewage, and bad environment including mining at certain remote places and even they have not spared the Mandovi River. I feel, the Sao Joao is dying with slow poison from the industries that are polluting our wells. Time will come there won't be Sao Joao in future years in Goa. Stephen Dias D.Paula Date: 26.6.2014
