THE FORGOTTEN TRIBE MHAR PART 13
ZOTI
Women from the Mhar community were experts in singing zoti, especially at a
Ros
ceremony, which involves the application of juice extracted from shredded
coconut
pulp or coconut milk on grooms/brides head, face, hands and other parts of
the
body.
Mrs. Luiza Fernandes (late Patris sister,) colloquially known to all as
Xamuli
(little granny) was a jovial, talented lady who knew many zoti ani vovieo. She
was
ever ready to sing them at traditional functions like ros, bhessanv, etc.
She
was part of the fabric of Gaumvaddy.
I had planned to sit down with her and record all zoti ani vovieo she knew so
we
could preserve them for posterity but she was suddenly diagnosed with cancer
and
passed away on April 1, 2009, leaving behind a vacuum in our society. She was
88
years old. May her soul rest in peace!
I dedicate this part of the series to Mrs. Luiza and give below a few examples
of
zoti, which she used to sing at a ros ceremony.
The ros application is done by close relatives one by one sequentially in a
defined
priority, followed by neighbors and friends, to the accompaniment of special
verses
called zoti sung by trained women. The application is symbolic of the state
of
single blessedness of the bride/groom.
To begin with, the candles are lit at the oratorio or olotor and at least two
bankinam (low-lying wooden stools) are kept on the floor in front of the
olotor. The
bride/groom is made to seat on one bankin and the bridesmaid/best man on the
other
bankin. Sometimes page girls/boys are also seated one or more on each side.
Once all are seated, an elderly male person from the family comes forward and
says
prayers. Then an elderly female, like the late Mrs. Luiza, begins to sing zoti.
The following zôt is sung when the father of the bride/groom applies ros to
her/him:
Adanvan kelem papu
Tachi sonsot dita zapu
Amchea rosar bhesanv ghaltolo
Sorgincho Bapu.
(Adam committed sin
His generations are now paying for it
The Heavenly Father
Will bless our ros.)
Tajem-tajem nistem khavnk
Manddun dovorlea zaii
Poilo ros lavnk ievcho
Oklecho paii.
(To eat fresh fish
They set a fish net
The first one to apply ros
Is the father of the bride.)
The father of the bride/groom comes forward and applies ros to his daughter/son
and
then to the bridesmaid/best man and page girls/boys.
This zôt is sung when the mother of the bride/groom applies ros to her/him:
Dolleanim bhorleant dukham
Distat motieanchim thikam
Dhuvek ros lavnk fuddem sor ghe
Okleche maim, ulo martanv tuka.
(Her eyes are filled with tears
And they look like precious gems
We call upon you, brides/grooms mother
Please come forward and apply ros to your daughter/son)
The mother comes forward with tears in her eyes, dips her trembling hands in
the
bowl containing the ros and applies it to her daughter/son. She tends to create
such
a scene that almost everyone around sheds tears.
This zôt is specially sung for the bride:
Satam somdirantlo vinchun kaddlo poti
Zolmanchea ghorant
Ankvarponnaili ghe okle
Hi tuji nimanni rati.
(We have chosen a spouse for you
>From across the Seven Seas
This is your last spinster night
In your birth place.)
Here is a special zôt for the bridegroom:
Apu-rosu kaddi ailo kateak
Ghansun, ghansun lailo matheak
Novro, novro bab gai amcho.
(Here is coconut-pulp juice
It is foaming and frothing
Apply frequently on your head
Our honored bridegroom)
This zôt is for the bride:
Loklokit gai, motianchi
Vokol bai gho amchi.
(Here is our honored bride
Shimmering in pearls!)
All this is sung and supplemented by appropriate verses in praise of the bride
and
the groom, with exhortations on her future conduct with her spouse and his/her
relatives and close family members. Here is yet another zôt called Noman,
Noman
Bapa Re Viva.
Noman, Noman, Bapa re Viva
Noman, Noman, Putra
Amchea rosak bhesanv magum-ia
Sorginchea, sorginchea Deva Bapa lagim.
(Hail, hail to the Father, hail
Hail, hail [His] Son
Lets ask His blessings
On our coconut milk.)
Kanan, tallier telu, re Viva
Kopolar kaddat khuris
Ora Viva rosak bhesanv dita
Sorgincho, sorgincho Dev Bap.
(Oil in the ears and on the ears and head
Make the sign (of the cross) on the forehead
The heavenly Father bestows
Blessings on this coconut milk.)
Poilo Amchea Bapa, re Viva
Dusri Noman Mori
Amchea rosak bhesanv ghali
Saibinn Amchi Ankvar Mori.
(First is God the Father, we invoke
Second Hail Mary
Bless our coconut milk
Our Lady, Virgin Mary.)
The Mhar community was also very good in playing the local band consisting of
madhiem, ghumott and kansallem. I was told by our elderly that they were the
ones
who taught the others in the village how to play these instruments.
So, how can we despise the Mhar community who created a culture for us?
COURAGEOUS JUANV
The Mhar community was treated like dirt, especially by the bhattkars. Their
discrimination reminds me of an incident which took place in the early Fifties.
João Fernandes, colloquially known as Zunvlo, who lived in Mhar vaddo in
Anjuna, was
always intoxicated with alcohol, mostly in the evenings.
He returned home every evening singing a litany not the usual Latin litany
that we
sing at a kantad ters (sung rosary,) but it was one of his own compositions
in
which he connected his wife to all the male saints!
One day his bhattkar, Bruno Lobo from Mazalvaddo, happened to be in his bhatt
(property) while Zunvlo was quarrelling with his wife. The bhattkar interfered
in
their quarrel and slapped Zunvlo, who became very furious and in turn assaulted
his
bhattkar.
We all know that the Portuguese ruled Goa through bhattkars, who enjoyed
special
privileges. As such, nobody dared even to touch them for fear of being
apprehended,
but our Zunvlo was courageous.
As soon as the fight was over, Juanv walked to Mapusa on foot. When he reached
Khorlim ghatt, he took a stone and repeatedly hit it on his head until blood
gushed
and his shirt was soaked in blood. He then went straight to the Quartela
(police
station) and filed a complaint against his bhattkar, that he beat him up.
To his good luck, he came across a police officer whom he had served as a cook
for a
brief period. The police officer was touched with Zunvlos bloody state. He
immediately sent Sukddo - a die-hard Goan-Portuguese cabo (constable) of
Mapusa
police station, renowned for his excellent service during the Portuguse regime
- and
summoned Bruno bhattkar to the police station something that rarely happened
in
those days.
The officer made the bhattkar apologize to Juanv, which he did and thus lost
his
value to a third class munddkar. Never underestimate your opponent!
The whole of Anjuna was shocked at Zuanvs bravery. He thus created history in
the
village!
Wasnt Juanv a shrewd, adroit chap?
CONFRARIA
As far as the Church is concerned, the only good thing that the Mhar community
enjoyed in those days was a confre. Yes, they had a confre of their own that
of
St. Francis Xavier, whose feast they celebrated in the Church every year on
December
3.
The color of the finial of the opa e mursa (okmus) was violet. Since most of
them
were employed as pede, they rarely got an opportunity to put it on but whenever
they
got an opportunity, they used it.
A few months ago I inquired with the Anjuna parish priest if the
above-mentioned
confre existed. Putt was the response: Nam. It seems the Church authorities
allowed the Mhar community to have a confre in order to please them but it
never got
registered! What a shame!
To be continued ........
Read the earlier parts of this MHAR series at:
http://www.goanet.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1172
Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna, Goa
Mobile: 9420979201
All rights reserved
