To Goanet - In my younger years, one of the great pleasures of a walk or a bicycle ride through Taleigao was the soothing sight of its vegetable fields, traditionally cultivated by its Gauda community. The village was especially renowned for its tambdi bhaji and vainguin, hand delivered fresh at our doorstep every morning by gaudyo on their way to the market.
Most of the open fields in Taleigao (the name derives from "tAL," the tableland below the hills) have now been plugged and 'developed.' A few cling to life, nurtured by the industry of the gaude from Nagale, Taleigao's well known ward. The RCC rubbish perched on the hills ringing the village speak to the crude, unaesthetic sensibilities that have come to afflict our generation. I have been spending the occasional evening in the fields of Nagale, hoping to relive some of my past. I pray that the Gaude continue with their traditional occupation but the trends do not inspire confidence. The govt is not interested in them and they receive little or no incentive. And the day may not be far off when either (a) the developers will usurp the remaining land or (b) the ghatis will take over the field work. Wide angle shot of a vegetable field in Nagale, Taleigao - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/taleigao-1.jpg Harvesting "naabh" - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/taleigao-3.jpg Portrait of the naabhs - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/taleigao-2.jpg Sorting through the day's yield of radish ("muLO") - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/taleigao-4.jpg The radish is washed and stacked in the evening. The gaudis head to the market early next morning around 5 am (after a meal of ambil) - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/taleigao-6.jpg Our Goan chilli ("mirsaang") - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/taleigao-5.jpg Rohidas Kurtikar working on his patch - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/taleigao-7.jpg Sitabai Canaconkar - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/taleigao-8.jpg Warm regards, r ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
